Wild Boys
by IWLTxo
Summary: They've always been wild, Sirius and James. But this time, after Sirius almost dies from a drug incident, him and James are sent to Azkaban Asylum. They don't expect to meet new friends, or fall in love. And they certainly don't expect to try to break out. M scenes, very AU. JP/LE.
1. The Incident

**Disclaimer;** I don't own anything but the plot and the OCs.

**A/N:** Hi! I just feel like writing a silly but fun story, this might not be your cup of tea but it's sure to be interesting, I promise! Give it a chance and leave a review!

This chapter contains drug taking. Enjoy!

**Update from 16/09 - this story has been renamed WILD BOYS.**

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_xoxo_

_1: The Incident_

Sirius started scratching his head and then hurried to scratch his arm. He flinched and turned to face the door before looking back at James, who was wiping his red nose and grinning.

'Last line Seers,' he slurred, 'want it, or are you gonna let me?'

Sirius ignored him, looking back at the remnants of the cocaine lines on the table. They looked both beautiful and terrifying. James started talking again but he couldn't hear his friend. All he could hear was the beating of his heart; it sounded like a drum. His chest started hurting, and another bead of sweat dripped down his face and across his lips. It tasted salty.

In the background, the hard thumping of the speakers resonated, drowning out all sound. James turned the volume down, cursing when he poked his eye with his own finger.

'Seers, are you alright?'

Sirius watched James's lips move but he didn't hear a word, his head felt like it was pounding and pounding and pounding and —

He fell to the side and was overwhelmed with a dizzy feeling. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all and for a moment he felt like Alice, tripping through the hole after following that damn rabbit. The only thing he could see was a roach, the butt of their last joint. It looked like a long and winding tunnel, and if he closed his eyes slightly, it felt like he was running through it.

His hair was thick and greasy, matted to his sweaty pale forehead. His hands were dripping with perspiration but worst of all, his chest was hurting _bad._ His heart was beating rapidly and irregularly, he could almost hear its confused and distorted beat – _da-dum-dum ... dum-da-dum._

'Paddy, get up!' James laughed. The high for him hadn't faded yet. He was still higher than a fucking kite. He was enjoying it all.

_I can't,_ Sirius wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He couldn't open his mouth. His body felt dry and cold and dead; could your body even feel dry and cold and dead all at the same time? He could see a light before his eyes. It looked like a ball of fire; it _was _a ball of fire. He let out a frightened and scared shriek, trying to move but failing.

'—FIRE!' he cried, his mouth opening and closing in a noiseless scream.

'No Pads! No, it's the light bulb, Sirius! It's a _light _bulb you fucking prat!' James roared, before laughing again. He was sobering up quickly though, the marijuana, the vodka, the cocaine ... the effects were fading. Because Sirius was convulsing.

Sirius's body was shaking. He was trembling. Sirius was trembling.

'Sirius?' James breathed, crawling over to his friend and knocking the roaches and empty bottles away from them. He came to rest at Sirius's head. His friend was breathing in very fast and very hard, almost as if each breath could be his last. His eyes had rolled back into their sockets and his body was contorting into funny shapes.

Soft murmurs escaped Sirius's mouth. Words that sounded a lot like 'ambulance' and 'fire brigade' and the one that frightened James the most, 'it hurts'.

'REGGIE! REGULUS! COME UP HERE NOW!' James cried, trying to stand up but failing to. He put his ear to Sirius's mouth and could hear and feel the breathing getting fainter and fainter. James slammed his fist down on Sirius's muscular chest.

After a moment, he turned to look at his friend again. Sirius looked peaceful now. His breathing had almost stopped. James could barely comprehend what was going on. They'd taken cocaine before, it wasn't a big deal! But Sirius had snorted more than James, _way_ more. And you never even knew when you were going to overdose on cocaine.

The door burst open and in hurried the six year old Regulus, who tripped over one of the bottles and barely managed to right himself.

'Jamie?' Regulus breathed, hurrying forward. 'What's happened Jamie?'

James grabbed his best friend's little brother by the lapels and dribbled a little, wiping his lip roughly when he noticed. 'Reggie, mate, you need to get me the phone, get your big brother the phone, okay? Go get me the phone.' The faster the seconds ticked by, the more sober James became. His heart was beating fast and the incredible elation and euphoria created by snorting cocaine was now fading, it was all fading.

He looked back down at Sirius, his face drenched in sweat and his body still. He pressed his ear to Sirius's chest and when he could hear nothing, he cried out. James slammed his fist down onto Sirius's chest. There was no response.

'No, no, I'm begging you Paddy mate please, _please_, dear God,' James cried, slamming his fist down again. Then he took Sirius's face into his hands and pressed their lips together in something that resembled an open mouth kiss. He forced as much oxygen as he could into his friend's mouth and made a noise that sounded somewhere between a choked sob and a gasp. Sirius wasn't waking.

'Sirius, please, I'm begging you,' James breathed, sucking in some more oxygen and exhaling once again. He continued this for a few more seconds, desperation and blind fright taking over every single sense.

Regulus came running into the room, the phone in his hand.

'What num—'

'999!' cried James, throwing his glasses to the floor and wiping his forehead. It was as if the harder he pumped Sirius's chest, the less of a result he got. But then, it happened. His friend started moving. His eyes were still closed, his mouth slack and his tongue peeping out, but he moved ever so slightly.

The sound of his heart filled the deadly silence and James almost sighed happily. He was so happy. A laugh slipped out of his mouth, and then he fell. He was falling. The ground sped up to meet him and the last thing James heard was Regulus, slapping his face and telling him there was a man on the phone.

_xo _

Sirius had beautiful grey eyes; to most people they looked like contacts. His hair was wavy and fell to his jaw in luscious black waves. His skin was white and pale, but still maintained the faint tan he had acquired during those three blissful weeks spent in Italy last month. He had aristocratic features, like the prominence of his jaw line and the sharpness of his cheekbones. He really was quite beautiful.

He lay on a hospital bed and had been resting on it for hours now. James lay on the bed beside him, his dazzling hazel eyes closed but his mind wide awake and aware. He was pretending to sleep because he could hear his parents and Sirius's parents talking about them. Regulus was crying and Mrs Potter was sniffing.

'—almost died ... my poor baby,' sobbed Mrs Dorea Potter.

'But thanks to my little hero Regulus, they're alright. They're going to survive this. We're all going to get through this.' The rumbling and seductive voice of Walburga Black interrupted. She sounded not nearly as upset as Dorea, but she was a good actress, and her voice held the perfect mixture of disappointment and grief.

'That's right; it's all thanks to Reggie that they're alive. Aren't you a good boy Reg?' Dorea said.

'Sirius!' cried Regulus, hurrying forward and evading the arms of his Mother. He leapt onto the body of his brother and started kissing Sirius's cheek and face and lips. 'Oh Seers! I was so worried, but I got the ambulance you see! You were hurt, I was so scared, but it's okay now, you're okay!'

Sirius groaned and tried to push his brother's body away from him. He yawned and then groaned in pain. 'James,' he croaked, turning his head and crying out softly. There was a beeping noise, loud and clear, and a bunch of numbers started flashing on the screen.

In rushed a nurse, young and pretty but very urgent. 'It's okay Mr Black, you're blood pressure has just rocketed up, I need you to take it easy and stay quiet, don't talk, got it? Good boy. Now, squeeze my finger ... good ... good boy. A little harder if you can ... yes, you haven't lost any feeling in your limbs. You're just stressed and taking time to adjust. I need you to try and stay calm for me, you can't be overexerting yourself.'

Sirius moaned, his eyes rolling back a bit in their sockets and his body quivering in pain. His limbs were hurting and aching, almost like he'd done a workout for hours and had muscle strains.

'I think it's best,' said the nurse, tucking her auburn hair behind her pale ear, 'it's best if you all leave for a bit, just so I can treat these handsome strong boys and give them time to rest.' Her voice was the kind that grew very annoying very quickly.

Dorea Potter was about to object but her husband, Charlus, put an arm around her shoulders and shushed her. 'It's alright; we'll just be in the cafe. We'll come and see these boys in a little while but they need to get better first, darling.'

She sighed, her body slumping a little. 'Okay.' She walked over to James, who was still pretending to be asleep, and kissed his forehead. 'I love you Jimmy.' Then she followed her husband back out, whom too, repeated the same words as his wife.

The Blacks however, were not as warm or as loving toward their son. Walburga's furiously beautiful eyes met her son's, and they betrayed the uncontained anger she felt. 'I'll speak to you later.' She was seething, and her voice sounded like she was barely managing to control and tame the anger she felt.

Mr Orion Black didn't even look at his son; he just brushed the shoulders of his blazer and took his smaller son's hand. Without even a parting glance, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

'Don't think for a moment Sirius,' whispered Walburga, stepping closer to her son and ignoring the protesting nurse, 'that you'll be coming home after this.' Then she glared at him, James and the nurse before walking off, the silence resounding after the clicking of her heels faded.

'Oh, well isn't that just horrid!' gasped the nurse, tutting and shaking her head. She took Sirius's hand and pressed the tip of a needle into his wrist, ignoring his hiss. The monitor started beeping again and the nurse shushed him, reassuring him and telling him how proud she was of the progress he was making.

'I'll be back in a short time to check your friend and then breakfast will be served.' She smiled at Sirius and closed the door behind her.

The room was large and white and everything Sirius's hated. It was too open. The beds had about two metres between them and monitors on either side. There were tubes wrapped around Sirius's wrists and even one going up his nose. The window was open, pushing in a soft spring breeze. He breathed in deeply and smiled, ignoring the lone tear that dribbled down his face from the amount of pain he was going through.

This was it. They were going to finally kick him out. They could have another baby; his parents were still young; Sirius had been born when they were nineteen, married and very rich. In fact they were incredibly rich; Sirius's father, along with James's, were descended from royalty, centuries back. In fact, Sirius's grandfather had been a lord. He was dead now though. Both men were still relatively young and in their late thirties. He and Charlus had known each other way before they had even known their wives.

And so because of the close friendship between Orion and Charlus, Sirius had always been best friends with James, since they were babies. There were three months between them. And both boys, with no siblings, had immediately become family. They even had their own rooms at each other's houses. Then when Sirius was ten, Regulus had been born. He loved his baby brother with every fibre of his very being.

But he did not, however, like his parents very much. Not one bit, hence the cocaine-snorting.

'Sirius?' James croaked, turning to face his friend. They looked at each other for a long moment, taking in the pale skin and the red bags and the semi-closed eyes of one another. James winced when he spotted the tubes coming in and out of Sirius's body.

'Jamie,' the other breathed hoarsely, his throat grating together. He hissed in pain. It was hard to get his head around all that had happened. He had almost died. He had almost _died!_ Dear God, he had almost just died! It was a frightening thing to hear, more frightening than even the possibility of leaving home, leaving London and Regulus and James. But now he thought about it, he didn't want to leave his friend, his _best _friend.

'Oh Pads,' James whispered, his eyes watering. 'I've never been so scared—'

The door opened and in came the same nurse, smiling at them and carrying a clipboard. She also had a small tray with her that had some needles on it. She smiled at them and ushered them to carry on talking, whilst she approached each of their monitors and inspected them.

'I've never been more scared for you in my _life_ Sirius, dear God; I thought you were dead...'

'You almost were,' a doctor said from the doorway. He was a tall man with an identical clipboard to the nurse. His face wasn't as friendly but he smiled at them; though it was a rather bland smile. 'I'm Doctor Hagigi, it's nice to meet you Mr James, Mr Sirius...' His voice sounded like one of those voices that featured in horror movies, the ones that belonged to the villain. It wasn't a very nice voice.

His eyes were almost black, a charcoal black; deep like the night and just as fathoming. His skin had an unusual complexion, like a mixture of olive and snow. His blond hair was slicked back; Doctor Hagigi was impeccably neat. He was the kind of man that resembled Sirius's own father. He didn't much like his own father, so that was not a compliment.

'I almost died,' Sirius breathed, ignoring the soft drumming of the monitor besides him, where the nurse (Nurse Frankie) was injecting something into a bag of liquid that was linked by a tube to his body.

'Yes, if not for your friend, you would still be here, oh yes, but four floors down in the morgue.'

Sirius, James and Frankie all frowned. 'H-How ... how did I survive?' Sirius whispered, biting his lip.

'Mr Potter here administered CPR, though a poor version at that. Then your little brother, Regulus is it? He called the ambulance and we got to your home within four minutes. Your parents, were they at the theatre? They took two hours to get here, but James's parents rushed right away. They were ever so worried about the both of you.' His voice was almost a taunt, and he had a horrid sort of sneer on his face.

'Cocaine overdose Pads, you overdosed...' James said quietly. 'I kissed a _boy_ ...'

Sirius didn't know whether to laugh or grin or shout. He stayed quiet instead. 'I didn't even know I was overdosing, not until the ... did I have a seizure?'

'You had a seizure yes. You also had a serious increase in blood pressure and you were clinically dead for two minutes. You're very lucky Sirius, incredibly lucky indeed.'

'What about ... James,' he panted in reply, the energy it took to talk overwhelmed him now and he was grasping onto sanity and consciousness. He had to stay awake.

'Your friend fainted, nothing too serious. He didn't overdose, if that's what you mean. He's here because we need to monitor him to ensure nothing happens, nothing bad at the very least. Now, Mr Black, I need to ask you a few questions and check a few things, your vitals, your blood pressure, your levels—'

'Vitals? Levels?' he managed to gasp.

Doctor Hagigi gave him a bitter smile. 'It won't hurt at all.'

'Don't worry Pads, I'm here okay, we can talk about all of this later, I promise.'

Sirius whimpered in pain, letting out a soft whine. 'Pain killers,' he wheezed, sucking in a raggedy breath, 'I need pain killers.'

'Doctor Hagigi? Shall I ...'

'In a moment, it's not essential right now. Bear with us for a moment Sirius, Mr Black? Hang in there for a moment...'

But it was too late, Sirius was slipping further and further into unconsciousness and he could barely even keep his eyes open. The last thing he saw were Frankie's wide and rather pretty dark brown eyes.

_xo_

James watched Sirius's body. He was breathing in evenly and it reassured him a lot. James didn't need any of those silly tubes in him anymore, just some bed rest. He was both disappointed and relieved. Disappointed because the coke they'd finally managed to get their hands on in weeks had ended in utter disaster. Relieved because perhaps the most important person in his life was alive and well and now stirring awake on the bed besides him.

James licked the spoon and winked at Regulus, who sat in a chair between his two brother's beds. Regulus regarded James as a brother; the sixteen-year-old was at him and Sirius's house almost as much as he himself was. They both watched the stirring figure on the bed and smiled when he opened his beautiful eyes and yawned, moving without crying out in pain.

So the ibuprofen was working then? Good, James was sick of hearing the pain his friend was in. He smiled when their eyes met and blew Sirius a kiss, before frowning. He had kissed his friend. An open mouthed, saliva-exchanging, tongues-briefly-touching CPR sort of kiss. He shivered.

'What's wrong?' The handsome Black's voice was only a little stronger. James took a moment to look around the empty room. The parents had only left about fifteen minutes ago to go to the cafe and discuss "adult" things. It pissed James off quite a bit. They were talking about him; he knew they were talking about him and Sirius and what they had done. Dorea had seemed incredibly reluctant, but a whisper from Orion had been enough for Charlus to oblige and follow. It always seemed to be in that precise order: whisper, oblige, follow.

James opened and closed his eyes when Sirius once again asked what was wrong.

'I gave you CPR Sirius, we kissed, I felt your stupid tongue on mine and we exchanged saliva and ... and isn't that the sort of thing _you're _into? I'm not gay, no I'm not—'

Sirius laughed shortly. 'I'm not gay too James, I'm bisexual. They're really two completely different things, okay? And really, I'm only half bisexual. I've only been out with like three guys as opposed to—'

'About a million girls? That's true ... hey Reggie, how happy are you to see your two big brothers are okay now?' James said, winking at his little brother and grinning when the small boy squealed.

'I'm very happy, I'm very _very _happy!' Regulus said. He got up, brushing the shining black strands of hair away from his face and leaping onto James's bed. He kissed the spectacled boy (who at the moment was not wearing his glasses) on the cheek, and then he ran a hand through his big brother's hair. 'I saved the day, didn't I?'

'You were like Spiderman and Hulk and Batman. In fact Reggie, I think you did an even _better _job than them.' James said, tickling his little brother all over and grinning when he could hear the childlike squeals of delight. 'Now, go over to Pads and see if he's okay. He went through something very hard, but remember to be gentle Reggie; you need to be careful around Sirius for now.'

The small boy nodded, tucking his hair behind his ear and pecking James on the cheek before hopping off his lap. Regulus approached Sirius almost tentatively and smiled softly when his older brother opened his arms. He settled in those arms; muscular and tanned and really quite attractive. It was where Regulus felt he belonged. He nestled into his brother and cuddled up to him, beaming when he was kissed on top of the head.

'Thank you Regulus.' Sirius said quietly, sniffing the adorably poignant scent of his brother and smiling. Sirius didn't want this to end; for the life of him, he did not want to have to go. But he would have to go; his mother wouldn't settle with him staying here after he embarrassed the whole family and almost died. Walburga knew about Sirius's drug taking, but she never knew it was so out of hand, she never knew it was drugs like cocaine!

'I'm so glad you're okay Sirius.' James suddenly said, with mooned over eyes and a worried smile. They exchanged that knowing and knowledgeable sneer between them and then winked simultaneously.

'I'm glad I have such faithful siblings. I think if old mum was there, then I'd be down _there._' He pointed at the ground. James shook his head but Sirius rolled his eyes. 'You heard her didn't you? She's getting me out of here; she doesn't want anymore shame coming on the family name, old bint. But even you Jamie, even _you_ know that my dear old mum never backs down from a threat. She's going to ship me off to America or ... or France or _somewhere_.'

'Not America, never America,' the seductive voice of Walburga Black interjected. She looked almost _exactly_ like Sirius, from the stunning silver eyes down to the aristocratic features. The black and glossy hair was longer than his and pinned up in an elaborate bun. Her skin was ghostly pale. She was standing in the doorway, carrying a tray of lunch for Sirius.

Behind her was Orion Black, holding a briefcase and a notepad. He had a pen behind his ear and immediately walked in, settling down on the closest chair and writing hurriedly without even greeting the two "sick" boys.

'Mother.' Sirius said. She sat down on the chair Regulus had been occupying, narrowing her eyes at the cuddly position the siblings were in. Automatically, she leaned forward and ran her fingers through her elder son's hair, sighing softly.

'I'm so disappointed in your Sirius.' She said quietly, wiping her false tears. She was such a good actress. Sirius would know, he had inherited the talent from her.

'I know mother, I know.' He said just as quietly, his voice hitching in his throat. The words were struggling to get past the enormous lump that had now formed. He gulped.

'You do know what this means Sirius...'

His eyes bulged and he moved a little further away from her, his arms tightening around his little brother protectively. No, _no,_ they weren't taking Regulus away from him, they couldn't, they just _couldn't!_

'No.' He breathed, shaking his head. Sirius's beautiful grey eyes started to water and he coughed a little. 'Please mother, please, don't do this—'

'It's too late Sirius. I've warned you and warned you. _There's something wrong with your head!_ I can't have you running around and bringing danger to my home, what if Regulus had tried some, what if you guys blacked out and he did something with the sick, _filthy _things you left lying around? I think nine months in Azkaban Asylum—'

'NOOOO!' Sirius cried, shaking his head. He growled and then barked at her, tearing his head from side to side. 'No, _no!_ You can't do this mother, please, don't fucking do this!' He couldn't have his freedom stripped away from him, he couldn't lose everything important to him.

'It's too late Sirius, the decision has been made.' The rumbling voice of Orion Black interjected, looking up and meeting his son's dazzling grey eyes with his own sapphire ones.

'Please,' Sirius sobbed, looking from his parents to James's, who were almost as good as parents anyway, 'please don't do this mother, father, I'm begging you, I'll do anything. Don't take Regulus away from me; don't take James away from me! Please, PLEASE!' Sirius begged, nestling his head in his little brother's shoulder as though that would save him and protect him from being taken away.

'Regulus will come visit you every week. But I just can't have you being a danger to him; he deserves a brother who would _think_ for once instead of endangering his life! Which you did Sirius! You could have killed your little brother!'

'As for James,' Dorea Potter said, this was the first time she had spoken since she'd entered the room, and she carried on smoothing her son's hair as though nothing had happened, though her eyes did water. She sent a furious scowl to her husband. 'As for my baby boy...'

'He'll be joining you.' It was Charlus who said it. He sounded both reluctant and confused, but there was a definite and resolute tone to his voice. As though that despite being a little confused, his mind was made up, and nothing was going to change it.

'What?' James breathed, pushing his mother's hands away from him. 'What?' He shrieked this time.

'You're joining Sirius, James. You're going to Azkaban Asylum.'

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**A/N:** Please leave a review and tell me what you think.


	2. The Azkaban Asylum

**Disclaimer;** I don't own anything but the OCs and the plot. Thank you!

**A/N:** Enjoy this chapter, feel free to leave any constructive criticism and please leave a review, pretty please?

Thank you guys *blackberry-messenger blushing face* xo

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_xoxo_

_2. The Azkaban Asylum_

The Azkaban Asylum was a collection of large buildings, clearly divided in sections, the most prominent being the girls' wing and the boys' wing. The teachers slept in a cluster of rooms between both wings. The fences were four metres high, with barbed wire at the top and made of solid stone. It radiated wealth and prestige and the stolen childhoods of many teenagers. Azkaban was only for fifteen to eighteen year olds, the very years that changed someone from a child to an adult.

The skies were chilly and grey, despite the fact that it was nearing June and should have now been a beautiful and clear blue day. Maybe even the weather disagreed with what was about to happen. Out in the yard, the stretch of land that was somewhat a playground for the prisoners, was the only place, apart from lessons, where the different sexes could fraternise and mingle. Even so, there wasn't much "mingling". The boys still took territory of the left area and the girls owned the right. It was interesting, like watching animals on the Discovery Channel.

The gates made a tremendous noise as they opened and every single person looked up rather quickly. A resounding silence spread and the yard was now quiet, for once. They were gargantuan gates, like the sort of gates one would imagine guarded heaven and hell. In came four officers, dressed in their rudimentary and rather boring black uniform. They separated and made way for the group of seven that now came in. It was an interesting group of people.

For one, they looked snotty and stuck up. They _were _snotty and stuck up. The rich sort that rarely ever dumped their child off in Scotland for bad behaviour; the sort that seemed to let it slide rather than bring shame to the family. Which meant what the little boys had done must have been bad, must have really _really _bad.

Lily Evans automatically knew it was the two boys because they were handcuffed and walking at a leisurely pace. Evidently they had tried to run off. Evidently, they had been caught, cuffed and dragged off here. One of the officers barked something at the boy with the longish chin length hair and he barked back, sneering an arrogant and slightly deranged sneer. He definitely belonged here.

Lily stepped a little closer, ignoring Alice and Marlene who stood with her. She stepped closer until she was almost standing on the unmarked but obvious invisible line between the boys and girls. Now she could see them properly.

The boy who had sneered couldn't have been much older than her, maybe a few months? He was incredibly handsome and Lily felt herself blush. She was tempted to duck her head in shame but avoided it. He had piercing eyes and a faint but delicious tan on his skin, a lot like the boy besides him. The other boy was wearing glasses, and had a pretentious grin on his face. His eyes were just as beautiful, with the flicks of gold and brown and green. His skin was a little tanned too. Lily thought they were both rather gorgeous, but they seemed rather bigheaded.

She knew immediately which parents belonged to which boy, and the smaller child standing near grey-eyes was definitely his younger brother. He couldn't have been older than six or seven. He was crying; proper full blown tears. His wails could be heard around the enormous yard. They rarely ever got a new guest, and when they did, it was an exhilarating and fun event. But getting two guests at the same time, who obviously knew each other? Getting two very handsome guests? Lily was baffled.

'P-please mother,' sobbed the child, clinging onto his brother. 'Don't m-make S-Sirius go, I'm b-begging y-you!'

The beautiful woman took her smaller son's hand and then turned to glare at the one Lily guessed must have been Sirius. Her son started shaking his head, barging the officer besides him rather roughly. 'Please mother, I'm _begging _you, don't do this, don't separate me and James from Reggie—'

She silenced him with a look. His mother watched him for a moment and then cupped his cheek. He was a head taller but he still seemed to cower away. 'You've hurt me Sirius. You've hurt me and I think to earn my trust, nine months here will be more than enough—'

'Like hell it will Aunty Wal! You can't do this to us! We haven't done anything!' James interjected, flinching when his own mother reached to touch his cheek. 'You'll regret this, I swear you will...'

'You can still change your mind,' Sirius whispered, stepping closer to his mother. But then an idea came to him and he turned to angrily face the guard he had barged. Lily recognised him as Slughorn; she had always liked Slughorn. 'Take these off ... _now._' She couldn't see Sirius's expression but from the way Slughorn recoiled, it had to be scary. There was a jingle and a jangle and the cuffs came off. The officer did the same with James's cuffs.

Immediately, the small boy threw himself onto his brother. They held each other fiercely for a moment, ignoring the fact that there were dozens of officers watching and hundreds of inmates scrutinising. Sirius kissed his brother's cheek and lips and forehead, whispering words that Lily could not hear. This caused the boy (Regulus, she had heard) to wail louder, begging his mother and father. Begging and begging and begging. It hurt Lily.

_You can't do this. You can't separate them!_ She wanted to scream to the beautiful and frightening woman standing beside the boys.

'Want to give Jamie a hug? Come on James; give my little brother a hug. He's deluded himself into thinking he'll miss you,' Sirius laughed, wiping his eyes hurriedly and standing up, but not before pressing another kiss to his smaller brother's forehead. 'I love you Regs,' he said.

'I love you more.'

James was the hazel eyed one. He flinched once again when his mother tried to touch him, and moved away towards the two grey eyed boys. James swept Regulus up into a hug and pressed a kiss to his forehead, lifting the boy easily and grinning. 'Gonna miss me Reggie?'

Regulus sniffed and nodded, wiping his eyes. 'A lot.'

'How much is a lot?'

'This much,' Regulus whispered, showing how much by putting his arms as far apart as he could. 'I love you Jamie.' The small boy murmured, kissing his surrogate brother's cheek and nuzzling his neck.

'Aw Reggie,' James breathed, exchanging more kisses. 'I love you more. And remember, what me and Sirius did is nothing for you to try. But ignore your mum and dad, ignore my mum and dad, and don't think for one moment that we're the bad guys, okay? Promise me you won't—'

'James Potter!' exclaimed Walburga, barging her son out of the way to stand face to face with James, despite the fact she was much shorter.

'Don't even _speak_ to me Aunty Wal.' James hissed to her, turning away sharply and glaring at his parents. He threw an arm around Sirius's shoulders and smiled at his friend. 'Think of this,' he whispered, 'as a great adventure.'

'A great adventure.' Sirius repeated, nodding. 'Got it.'

'James...' Dorea whispered, stepping closer to her son. She put her hands on both boys' shoulders. 'I'm ... I'm s-so s-sorry; it'll a-all be ov-over s-sooner than y-y-you think.' She hiccupped.

'Sooner than I think?' James scoffed, a nasty and cruel expression flickering over his face. 'Nine months? All over in the blink of an eye? Is that what you think? _You_ must be the one snorting coke then, if you really—'

'No, it was _you _who did that, which is why you're here! So _don't_ talk to your mother like that,' James's father interjected, waving his finger and glaring at his son. 'Now, stop embarrassing yourself in front of everyone, shut up and follow the guards.'

There was a moment of silence, except for the whispering and the hissing from inmates around the yard. Then James laughed shortly. He bent down to press one more kiss to Regulus's forehead and then he turned away sharply, making way for the main office. He didn't pay any attention to his mother's sobs and his father's shouts, asking him to come back; he just walked.

Sirius stayed there, watching the retreating figure of his friend. He smiled softly to himself then looked down at his mother. There was a hair band wrapped around his wrist, and he tied his hair up into a miniscule ponytail. Sirius sighed as he watched his mother. Then he shrugged. 'Don't think we can't get drugs inside here—'

'Their rooms are checked every week Madam!' One of the officers said, Flitwick was his name. He shut up however when he saw Sirius's expression.

'Don't think for one second mother, that I can't get coke or weed or anything else. And this time, I might just _die._'

Lily's jaw slacked and she watched him laugh in his mother's face. He looked a little mad. Actually, he looked _really _mad. His little ponytail was bobbing a little and his eyes looked like gems, glistening with madness. Then he turned to face his tiny little brother, who was watching him a little uneasily.

'Aw Reg, don't be like that. Don't look at me like that.' He squatted down until his face was level with his brother's. 'Do you love me?' he whispered so quietly, Lily was sure she was the only person who heard.

Regulus sniffed and nodded. 'Of course.'

'Then shut up and give me a kiss.'

The small boy looked up shyly and then giggled and kissed his brother quickly on the lips. They grinned at each other and Sirius cuffed him on the back of his head.

'See you in nine months then mum, dad, unless of course you come to visit me, which I doubt. Are you ... are you sure you want to do this?' He asked. There was a hint of a threat in his voice, and that deranged glint was back in his eyes.

'Yes.'

They regarded each other coldly for a moment, then he sighed sadly. 'You're going to regret this, I promise. You too Aunt Dory, Uncle Chuck, you'll all regret this.'

'Come on then Mr Black; let's get you changed into your uniform—'

'Fuck you!' Sirius snapped harshly, 'like hell am I wearing uniform.'

This time, it was Filch who stepped forward, the nastiest and meanest officer there was out of all the ones escorting Sirius. 'You can either do this the easy way,' he sneered, 'or the hard way, once again.'

'You and me, Reg,' Sirius said loudly, when his arms were forced behind him and cuffed. He was yanked by the collar and he felt tears form in his eyes. He beat them away furiously, only now noticing the hundreds of faces watching him. He gulped. And when he heard Regulus's crying start up again, he really did start crying himself.

The last thing he saw was his brother's red face, at least fifty metres away, standing between his mother and father, who wore nothing but stoic and slightly cold expressions. When Sirius got out of Azkaban Asylum, because he was getting out, no doubt about that, he was going to make sure his parents felt the pain he was feeling right now.

That heartbreaking, gut wrenching, eye watering pain that cascaded over him, like a waterfall. He gasped and let Filch drag him into the main officer reception. He was thrown into the seat next to James, who had been handcuffed too.

'Don't cry Paddy,' James said, nudging him with his elbow. 'We're—'

'— getting out. I know. There's no other option. We're getting out. And we're going to make my parents _pay._' He seethed. His mouth felt drier than ever. Sirius swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. His breathing hitched in his throat and before he could cry, a woman walked past.

She couldn't have been older than thirty. Her hair was a golden blonde, her skin was a cream white and she was reasonably pretty. Her eyes met Sirius's but she turned away, only to look back at him. Most people did that. They were shocked that someone could be so handsome. He grinned at her. His eyes were sparkly with tears and his nose was a little red; the ponytail had come loose and strands were cradling his face – Sirius himself thought he looked quite hot.

She could be interesting. He saw the label _"Doctor"_ on her jacket and he grinned once more. She could be very, _very_ interesting. He was dragged off first to the closest room, maybe the size of a shoe cupboard. They snapped pictures of him, weighed him and measured him. And through the whole little affair, Sirius couldn't keep that same smile off his face. _Doctor._

_xo _

James looked down at his body. The uniform was hideous. It consisted of grey trousers, a white vest and a grey short sleeved shirt over it. The uniform was more than hideous.

'Are you joking?' He said, looking at his friend and then the officer and then back at his friend. Well, Sirius could pull off any colour, especially grey. James on the other hand...

'Don't you have something that isn't in grey, or perhaps a nicer material? This feels like shit.' He said to Filch.

The man was hideous too. He was white, but not with an attractive sort of creamy coloured skin shade, but instead a pinkish grey. His hair was greasy and limp and hung in strands past his shoulders. His eyes were bloodshot and he had a chipped tooth. He grinned a little deliriously at James. 'Sorry _rich boy,_ that's all we got.' He sniggered.

James put his glasses back on and ran a hand through his hair. He gulped and turned to face his best friend. Sirius was watching him in a way that made James feel uneasy.

'Paddy?' He asked, raising an eyebrow.

'I'm sorry.'

'What on earth for, mate?'

Sirius buried his face in his hands and shrugged, shaking his head. When he looked back up his face was red. 'It was my idea that night to do coke and—'

'I have a brain of my own. Who cares if it was your idea? Look, they put us in here, but they can't keep us here, can they?' James said, hurrying over to his friend and embracing him.

'They _think_ they can.' Sirius replied, a small smile spreading on his face. 'I can't wait until we get out of here,' he whispered the last sentence, despite the fact that Filch had gone to get them their shoes. 'We're paying my parents a visit first you know. I need to show my mum and dad just how _angry_ I am.'

'Of course.' James said abruptly. 'In fact, I feel like robbing them of all their money, or as much money as I can get my hands on. It's my money really, come to think of it.'

'I'm going to kidnap Regulus, take him away and raise him the way he _should_ be raised. They'll fuck him up, just like they fucked me up.'

Filch hurried into the room and upon seeing both boys embracing, he sneered. James barked. 'Shut up you ugly prick.'

Filch didn't scowl or bark or even insult James back. He just grinned harder and harder, until they could see each and every single one of his battered, yellowing teeth.

'In here,' he whispered, stepping closer to them, 'I'm the boss.' Then he pulled out some long sort of stick, the same colour as his uniform, and hit James hard on the leg with it. The bespectacled boy didn't scream or whimper; he just closed his eyes and breathed in as clearly as he could.

You see, James was good at controlling his anger, unlike Sirius. If it had been him, he would have hit Filch back, or maybe even beaten him up. 'I'm,' the ugly officer said once again, 'the boss ... Flitwick, Slughorn, Murphy, come _on_, hurry up! We need to get the boys to their rooms!'

Slughorn had a friendly face, as did Flitwick. Slughorn was maybe twice the size of Sirius, but at least half a head shorter. Flickwick was the complete opposite, he was _half_ the size of Sirius and maybe _two_ heads shorter.

'Come on then boys, let's give you a tour and then allocate you to your rooms.' Slughorn said, taking out his keys and ushering them out. For all the money Warden Dumbledore was given, he clearly did not put much of it into the Officer's Block. The walls were cracking and the tiles were peeling; it was really quite ugly to look at.

The main hall however, was a completely different story. It was enormous and had rows of chairs upon rows of chairs set out before the enormous screen at the front of the room. Then they were shown the library; modern, neat and packed with students. The library had more integration between the genders than the yard did.

The canteen was filled to the brim with inmates. They were in the middle of eating their lunch; sandwiches with different fillings and a small pot of jelly. Though it was still a little noisy, everyone looked up at James and Sirius, wondering what on earth the handsome rich boys had done to get sent here? Well, James thought, let them guess. He had always liked attention.

He turned to Sirius to elbow him, only to find that his friend was in the middle of something. Sirius was making eyes at a pretty light brown skinned girl, not far from him. _Oh no._ He had found his next target. James knew how this would end, tears and probably a taken virginity, unless she was of course, not a virgin. The girl blushed bright red and looked away, only to look back. James looked around and saw that it was once again, separated into girls and boys.

He wouldn't have any of this jiff-jaff if he was expected to stay here for nine months. The canteen was a bit like the gates, enormous and a radiation of wealth and prestige. The windows had to be a metre in diameter, overlooking the splendid view of the gardens.

He turned back to scrutinise the students, ignoring what Slughorn was saying. Many of the boys were giving him nasty looks, as if they already knew who he was. They probably did. His family featured in a lot of newspapers, magazines and his father even appeared on TV a few times. They most certainly knew who Sirius was, being the son of a world renounced model and a part time model himself as well as having a father descended from lordship.

There were one group of boys who gave James the dirtiest look, laughing at something and then doing the whole silly process all over again.

He elbowed Sirius, who seemed to have given up on the idea of having sex today with the girl. 'Don't freak out and go on a rampage, but some ugly little fuckers are looking us and not in the way I like.'

'Rampage Prongs,' Sirius said, glaring back at them hotly. 'I would never...'

He decided the one he liked least was the one with long greasy black hair, a hooked nose and eyes the colour of coal. He decided he didn't like that one very much at all.

The girls' wing, as well as the staff block, were the only places they weren't allowed to go. But they never paid heed to silly little rules like those. Right now, they were to be escorted to their rooms and would be picked up in an hour to go down to the yard and spend some time getting to know people and investigate for themselves.

'Where are James and I staying then?' Sirius asked Slughorn, whom he was now liking more and more. The man seemed to be a pushover, which could prove useful in the future.

'James and you?' Slughorn asked and then he laughed, shaking his head. 'Oh son, you're not going to share a room together. Otherwise what's the point of you coming here? Your parents Sirius specifically asked for you _not_ to be paired up with James. Now, you Sirius will be staying in the east quarter of the boys' wing, on the second floor. And you James are going to stay in the west quarter of the third floor. Come on then Sirius, we'll go to yours because it's closer.'

They refused, however, to move. 'We're not going to be together?' Sirius whispered, his teeth clenched. He breathed in and out, but his body continued to tremble with anger. How could his parents _do _this to him? Oh, but of course, if they could dump him here they could do anything. They were ruthless. The image of Regulus flickered through Sirius's mind and he frowned.

'At your parents' wishes, no you—'

'But we have to!' James exclaimed, baring his teeth and stepping forward in front of Sirius. 'No one can control him like I can. What if ... what if he doesn't like his roommate? What if he beats the _fuck_ out of the poor guy? What then?'

'That's a risk I'm being _forced_ to take. Look, you'll see each other at mealtimes, out on the yard, in lessons, seeing as your both sixteen it's obligatory, and of course, free time. It'll be like nothing has changed really.'

But Sirius didn't hear a word; he was too busy trying to control the raging beast inside him. He bit his lip, closed his eyes and tried to unclench his hands, but they remained balled anyway. James recognised that look and threw an arm around his friend's shoulders.

'See? He'll go mental, and then the only person you'll have to blame is yourself, and those fucking bastards we call our parents!'

'See here Sirius, if you petition to Warden Dumbledore, he could override your parents' word and have you moved in with your friend—'

Slughorn was interrupted when Sirius roughly barged him, moving away as far as he could. 'You touch me and I'll fucking break your neck, I'm not staying with _anyone _other than James, not _anyone._' He seethed, his eyes bulging in that deranged manner James had come to accept and even love, and his fists balling once again.

Slughorn took off his walkie-talkie and spoke directly into it. 'I'm in centre first, could you send backup please, we're having a little ... mishap with Mr Black.'

Sirius was about to throw himself onto Slughorn and rip off those pointy and annoying ears when James's arms wrapped around him. He held Sirius down for a minute, until his friend stopped moving and writhing and cursing. 'Calm down Padfoot, it'll be alright. We'll petition to Dumbledore, okay? We'll get roomed together. But you don't want them to put you in – what did you call that room before?'

'Isolation.' Slughorn panted, his heart still beating furiously fast despite the fact that Sirius Black wasn't going to attack him anymore.

'They'll put you in Isolation if you carry on this way mate, stop, _please_.' James's voice broke on the last word and he shook his head, biting his lip hard. 'I promise, I'll try ... I'll try and get moved okay?'

Sirius deliberated and then nodded. 'Okay, _okay_, but ... who's my roomy?' He asked.

'A boy called Peter Pettigrew,' Slughorn said, just as Flitwick came, followed by an enormous man called Hagrid. Despite the fact that he could crush Sirius in a heartbeat, he seemed awfully friendly. He was white, but had tanned darkish skin. His hair was long and incredibly bushy, as was his beard. He seemed ever so friendly.

'Come on then boys.' Flitwick said. 'Hurry up! Where's Black situated?' He asked.

'East second. Potter's in west third. I think me and Flitwick should take Black, and you Hagrid can take Potter.'

Hagrid grinned and clapped his hands together. 'Fin' by me.' James couldn't quite place his accent but he decided he automatically liked it. 'Come on Potter, we're goin' west third.'

'I'll see you in a bit, I promise,' James vowed to Sirius, crossing his fingers on both hands and showing them to Sirius, their little "vow" sign. Sirius signed and nodded, watching James disappear down the corridor.

'Come on then Black, let's get a move on,' Flitwick said. Though he wasn't horrid, he was strict and curt. Sirius wasn't sure what to make of him. He dusted his clothes and nodded, breathing in and out. He stood between them and walked at a leisurely pace. As he passed the toilets, he caught sight of those same boys again, two white ones, a black one and a Chinese one. They were smirking at him as they watched Slughorn urge Sirius to walk faster.

'Who're they?' Sirius asked quietly, nodding his head to the group of boys.

'Oh,' Slughorn said, shrugging, 'them. The one with the longish black hair in Severus Snape, the other white one is Emmett Avery, the black boy is Jackson Mulciber, and the Chinese one is Tyler Macnair. They're nasty boys, so I'd stay away from them if I was you.'

Sirius smiled dazzlingly at them, then his expression turned into a nasty sneer. He let the madness boiling under his skin rise to the surface, and with a satisfied laugh, he watched Macnair and Avery flinch. But Snape and Mulciber didn't. They simply raised an eyebrow, apparently unimpressed.

Well then, Sirius thought, I'm going to have to do something to impress them.

'And we're here. You're not given a key, but the rooms are locked at ten o'clock. You have to be in your room by half nine, regardless of your age.' Flitwick said. He paused in front of door 2E.7 (second floor, east wing, room seven) and knocked hard three times. 'We're coming in Pettigrew.' He called loudly before throwing the door open.

The room was larger than Sirius anticipated. There were two single beds, one in the left neatly made. There were large cabinets beside the beds. The wardrobes were in the corner of the room, but they weren't very big. The floor was a dark blue carpet and the walls were a greyish white. It was a bland and boring room. The only thing Sirius liked was the large window overlooking the pretty gardens.

He noticed, finally, the small boy sitting on the bed reading a comic book.

'Who's he?' Pettigrew asked.

'Say that _nicely_ Peter. This is your new roommate, Sirius Black. You're going to be kind to him, aren't you?'

Sirius stepped closer, until he was less than a foot away from Peter. 'Aren't you Peter?' He sneered coldly. Then Sirius stepped away and laughed loudly, throwing himself onto the bed.

'Not a bad room...' he said to Slughorn, smirking when the older man gulped. 'Not bad at all.'

* * *

**A/N:** We've met some more characters; Lily, Peter, Snape, Slughorn.

I hope you've liked this chapter, please review.


	3. Roommates

**Disclaimer;** I don't own anything but the twisted plot and the crazy OCs. Thanks!

**A/N:** I've gotten quite a few alerts and favourites, which I'm so grateful for, but if you haven't left a review, would you mind leaving a few words about what you think of my story so far? I welcome anonymous ones!

Enjoy this chapter, it's out much quicker than I anticipated! I'd also like to quickly say sorry if any language the characters use are offensive, I'm trying to stay as realistic to the way teenagers act as I can. Or at least, this is how most of my male friends act.

* * *

_xoxo _

_3. Roommates_

'Ta, Sluggy.' Sirius called after him, snickering when he heard an angry sigh. Then the door shut right behind Slughorn and Flitwick, and Sirius sighed triumphantly. 'That was easy.' He said. Sirius kicked off the white trainers he had been given, tied his hair up into a miniscule ponytail and turned to scrutinise Peter.

The boy was on the pudgier side, and looked quite short. He had startlingly bright blue eyes and though his hair was a rather radiant blond, it was limp and dry. Peter had stark white skin and deep bags, revealing the simple fact that _Peter didn't sleep._ He couldn't and he wouldn't. But all will be exposed in due course, obviously.

Sirius had always been arrogant, and he enjoyed belittling and patronising others. He threw off the hideous grey shirt, leaving only the thin vest to cover _most_ of his torso. It was a little tight, giving the illusion that Sirius was more ripped than he actually was. But he had a toned and rather majestic body. His arms were really quite impressive however; perhaps what Sirius was most proud of. It was worth the few hundred pounds he spent going to the gym.

He sat back on the bed, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at Peter straight in the face, who stared back, but not without letting a glint of terror sparkle in his eyes. Sirius grinned. He had Peter pegged now.

'You listen here,' he said softly, 'and you listen good, young Pete. Now, we're swapping beds, I want your one by the window. We're going to do that in a moment. Then I want you to tell me if you have anything stashed around; drugs, fags, booze, any of it. If not, you could _at least _tell me where the fuck I'm supposed to get it from ... hmm? What did you say Peter?'

Peter shyly looked up, his piercing eyes boring into Sirius's. 'I h-have f-fags.' He pulled out something from underneath his pillow and threw it to Sirius, who squealed, kissing the packet and looking up before whispering something to the ceiling.

'I haven't had a fag in about a week! And you've got Marlboro as well, dear god this is destiny.' He took one out and popped it in his mouth, before tucking another one behind his ear for James. It was almost natural for them to think of each other so much and do things subconsciously in relation to one another that Sirius and James dismissed it as one of the many characteristics of their relationship.

Peter tossed him a lighter and watched a little jealously as Sirius tucked hair behind his other ear and then lit the cigarette expertly, sucking in the fumes and making a noise between a whimper and a content sigh. He breathed it out and licked his lips. 'You know what Peter ...' he said slowly, 'you supply me with two packs of these every week and I'll let you keep your bed and your teeth.'

Then Sirius hungrily inhaled again, falling back on the bed and breathing out; James often said that whenever he smoked, he put on sex faces that were really quite creepy. He laughed shortly at the memory. Peter gulped a little nervously, scratching his arm hard. He'd known Sirius Black five minutes and he was already scared shitless of the boy. And this was him being friendly? Peter would hate to see Black mad.

'How old are you Pete?' he suddenly asked, turning to face the boy.

'I-I'm seventeen in September.'

'Really?' Sirius asked disbelievingly. 'I would never have guessed you're my age, let alone _older_ than me. My birthday's on Christmas Eve. Once for a birthday, my mother got me a puppy. I was so happy. The next day on Christmas we had to model for some New Year's photo shoot. My mother's a model you see, you've probably even heard of her—'

'Walburga Black! Now I think about it ... you look so much like her...'

'I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'll take it as a compliment anyway. She'd occasionally make me do photo shoots for silly things like weird perfume ads and shit. Anyway, I haven't done any modelling in about a year now though.'

'Do you miss it?' Peter asked shyly.

Sirius shrugged then nodded once. 'I guess I do. I miss it a lot actually. They'd have all these sexy girls and guys on set—'

'Guy?' Peter asked hurriedly before flinching when he caught sight of Sirius's expression.

'Something wrong with my bisexuality? Is that even a word...' he voiced out loud, pondering on the thought a little too long. 'I wouldn't even really call myself bisexual. More like ninety percent straight and ten percent bent. You haven't got a problem though, have you?' He carelessly threw the cigarette to the floor without even putting it out. It glowed orange.

'N-no.' Peter said quickly. 'My uncle is gay so I'm sort of not _allowed_ to have a problem with gays or lesbians.' He sighed in relief when Sirius shrugged and started playing with his fingers.

'So, what are you in here for?' Sirius asked without even looking up.

Peter decided immediately that Sirius Black was an arrogant, pretentious prick. But he also admired the strange boy a little too. He would never admit it though, he himself was too proud for that. What did he want? Sirius's attention and recognition? No, he didn't want it at all ... pfft, why on earth would he want it...

'None of your business.' Peter snapped a little more harshly than intended. He expected Sirius to punch him, insult him or sneer; something horrible and totally arrogant. But the handsome boy just threw back his head and roared with laughter, tears of mirth falling down his face. Peter bit his lip nervously. Was Sirius laughing _at _him or _because_ of him? Actually, weren't they the exact same thing? He shyly looked up to see the other boy still chuckling, but facing him once again.

'Ooh, feisty, I've always liked feisty boys. Boys with great arses too. Say, Petey-pie, you wouldn't mind doing a little spin for me, would you?'

Peter blushed furiously and turned away, sending a glare to the other boy. 'Piss off.'

'Like I said, I get turned _on_ by feisty boys. Telling me to piss off won't do you any favours babe. Actually, I've got a question. I'm horny and I've walked past lots of really _sexy_ girls. Once I've seduced my way into their good books, where could I take them for a quickie?'

Peter choked on his tongue and looked up, startled. 'Y-you're not allowed. One of the rules of Azkaban is "no sexual activities"! You'll get yourself in loads of trouble; they'll call your mother and father up and tell them!'

'You think,' Sirius began; 'I really care for the rules?' he laughed shortly. 'I couldn't give a _fuck_.' Then he looked away and suddenly jumped up. He wandered around for a bit, poking his head into the bathroom and toilet and then closing the door behind him, pacing the corridor only to return back into his room with an exasperated sigh. 2E.7. What a boring room.

'I need another fag.'

_xo_

James decided he liked Hagrid. He didn't bother with the fussy stuff like "call me sir" or "what you did was stupid". He didn't seem to be the sort who interfered and reprimanded the inmates. He was more like a cool Uncle Bob; fun, carefree and laidback.

'Yeh mate Sirius was it? He's barkin' mad aint he?'

James grinned and nodded. 'The maddest person I've ever met. He's not even really my mate; he's more like my brother. I'm sort of used to it. I forget that to other people, he looks crazy.'

'He almos' died as well, didna he?' Hagrid said, pointed down another corridor for James to go down. He thought for a short moment that perhaps Warden Dumbledore had put them the furthest away from each other as he could.

James didn't like thinking back to when he almost lost his best mate. It made him sad; to almost think that right now Sirius could be dead if not for the CPR James had performed and little Reggie's intelligence. James loved his little brother, more than anything. That's why they had to get out! For Reggie, always for Reg.

'He's alive now though, and that's all that matters to me.' James said softly, turning his head and catching only a glimpse of a girl with brilliant red hair. Her and her friends were watching James from across the courtyard directly between the two wings. He could only see part of her; the large window didn't show her whole profile. But James thought just that small snippet of her face was more than enough, for now.

'What yeh did was very brave James, yeh gotta remember that. Wha' did you do again? CPR?'

James nodded. 'He stopped breathing so I gave him mouth-to-mouth. Worst bloody kiss of my life. Though I think the exact words Sirius used to describe it was "a taste of an angel's mouth" or something utterly gay like that.' He continued joking around with Hagrid, despite the slightly melancholy mood he was in. James had really hoped he would be with Sirius, in fact, the possibility of them not rooming together hadn't even crossed his brilliant mind.

Hagrid paused in front of his room and gestured to the door. 3W.16; west of third floor, room sixteen. How fitting, James's favourite number was sixteen. He looked at Hagrid and then grinned. James push open the door, observing the white grey walls and the large window. One side of the room was neat, clean and almost _naked._ The other side was piled with clothes, books, empty boxes, chocolate wrappers and the likes. It was an interesting room.

But most of all, it was interesting because of the boy who lay sprawled on the bed and was singing softly to himself. It must have been twenty seconds before he noticed that someone was there, watching him. Hagrid waved and signalled for the boy to take out his earphones. The boy threw his iPod onto his cabinet and sat up. He was very thin, and looked quite tall, taller than James by maybe two or so inches. He wasn't wearing a shirt, leaving his torso bare for James to inspect briefly. His arms were muscular and tanned, like the rest of his body. James didn't know whether he was Spanish or Italian or something like that.

His hair was a beautiful tawny blond colour and his eyes were a pale and light brown. He had a jagged scar from his neck all the way to his shoulder blade. He terrified James for a second. But he grinned widely at the boy despite himself and the unfamiliar boy shyly smiled.

'James Potter,' he said, stepping over a dirty plate and reaching out his hand.

He took James's hand. 'Remus Lupin—'

'Ah, you're Italian. Knew it. Me and my brother just came back from Italy a few weeks ago, before we went hospital of course.'

'Half Italian.' He answered, before turning away to face the enormous officer standing near the door. 'Hag? Who is this?' Remus didn't ask rudely but he said it a little worriedly.

The thing about Hagrid was he didn't know when to shut his mouth, and he explained, without the bat of an eyelash, 'Yeh new roomie. He was busted with drugs an' sent here. He's a nice lad Rem, so don' worry. I'll see yeh boys later, alrigh'?' then Hagrid waved and closed the door behind him. James was surprised he could fit through the door.

James didn't miss the relieved sigh Remus let out. 'What?' he asked curiously.

'Nothing, nothing ... it's just, you were busted with drugs. That's good for me; maybe you won't grass me up like my last roommate did.'

James dropped the small bag he had been given and kicked it under the bed he supposed was his. He kicked off his shoes, ran a hand through his hair and fell onto his bed, face first. Then James sighed. 'What drugs did you have—?'

'A bit of weed, some hash, magic mushrooms, the likes really. And the little gay bastard told the guards where to find my booze too. But don't worry; I left him with a scar to remember me by.' Remus threw his head back and laughed for a long time, taking out a packet of cigarettes and lighting one. He offered James, who took it and lit the end using Remus's fag.

He dragged in a deep breath and smiled softly to himself. He hadn't felt more relaxed in weeks. He turned to see that his roommate was still cackling a little madly, and James thought for an alarmed moment that he _was_ mad, he had the same glint in his eye that Sirius sometimes had. But James was used to it, and he pushed the alarmed feelings back.

'So James, what drugs were _you_ busted with?' Remus asked after a long moment of awkward silence, filled with the sounds of drags and exhales. The room was already smoky grey.

'Me and my brother, Sirius, we weren't really busted. Sirius just OD'd on coke and then he stopped breathing. I gave him CPR, got our little brother Regulus to call 999 and then I passed out. Not really that interesting, not like your story, _magic mushrooms man_, fuck, I've wanted to try that for so long.'

Remus tossed his fag to the floor, lighting another one. James looked him up and down briefly, once again. Remus was quite handsome, maybe he could hook Sirius up?

'You're not gay, are you?' he asked.

'Fuck no!' Remus exclaimed, before laughing hard. 'I mean, I've tried shit with a guy before but it freaked me out. No, I prefer tits to balls, sorry mate, but I do know—'

'Fuck you! It's not for me, it's for Sirius. He's somewhere 2E, or whatever it was Slugster said.' James took his last drag and then tossed the fag to the floor, coughing a little but then smiling. 'You know, I think I could really start to like you.'

'Too bad,' Remus said, 'I'm not sure if I like you much.' James a little shocked. Everyone liked him, well _almost_ everyone. And even if they didn't like him, they pretended they did! He didn't want to seem clingy or girly, especially since his new roommate probably thought he was gay now.

'W-why don't you like me much?' James asked as evenly as he could.

'Well,' Remus said shortly, shrugging on his shirt after he caught sight of his own scar. He scratched his chin where some stubble was growing and then tousled his hair. 'It's not that I don't like you, but it's just the fact that I never let myself become friends with guys here. And now you live with me, you're going to be all nice. Then you'll find out what I did to get put here and you'll do something like Tommy, maybe rat out my secret stash of drugs and booze. Or maybe ask to be moved. Either way, we won't stay friends, not really.'

'But you don't even _know_ me.' James snapped a little more harshly then he meant. 'How d'you know I'll run off when you've only spent five minutes in my company. Look, I'm not amazing at making friends, okay? All my life, my only good friend, the only friend I've needed is Sirius. Sure, we went school and I had girlfriends and classmates, but none of them were _actual _friends. Seeing as we're going to live together, I want to become your friend.'

Remus scoffed and stood up. He went over to the window and opened it, letting a chilly draft come in. It was almost dinner time, and the alluring and stunning sun was still up, beaming in the cool air. 'You sure you're not gay?'

'Fuck off,' James laughed, throwing his shirt off and stretching on his bed. He nodded to himself, satisfied with the size of the bed. 'Now, how long d'you think it'll take me to get some chick to sleep with me? The bed seems big enough.'

Remus laughed softly, despite himself. He was really like a brownie, firm and tough on the outside but gooey and soft on the inside. He'd already taken a liking to James. But he just didn't want to sit around and wait for James to find out what he did and then run off. No. The only friends Remus made here in Azkaban were girls. He did have _one_ male friend. But Remus wasn't going to speak to Peter for the rest of his imprisonment. Which was until he was eighteen. Then he'd be free. He'd never speak to his parents again too.

'I think you should wait for a bit. Get your bearings of this place, learn a little bit more. Then you can start thinking about which girls you'd like to sleep with. Half term ends on Monday, and it's always best to sleep around when we've got school. The teachers and guards are so distracted that they hardly notice if you go missing for twenty minutes.'

James grinned. 'That's sick man. If I try and hurry things along though, I'm sure I can finish in like ten minutes. Like seriously mate, I haven't had sex in months.'

Once again, Remus reluctantly showed a smile to James before sighing and picking up the closest book to him. It was The Brothers Karamazov, an epic tale of three brothers and their journey to find out who killed their father.

'How long have you been here—?'

'Too many questions Potter. Fuck off or go wank, do _something_ other than interrupt me during my reading.'

James mock scowled but jumped up, putting his shoes back on. He opened the door and looked around for a while, seeing a few boys who waved at him as though they already knew who he was. Just because of his stupid famous parents. But to James, he didn't have parents anymore. They were dead. The only people that mattered to him now were Sirius and Regulus.

He decided to go exploring. It'd only take a little while. Maybe he could find a girl too...

_xo_

'You don't need to _escort_ me,' Sirius growled, shoving Filch's hand off of his shoulder. 'I'm not a baby.' His voice took on the tone of an arrogant, sulky and very annoyed rich boy. He _was_ an arrogant, sulky and very annoyed rick boy.

'Seems like Warden Dumbledore has other ideas. Na' shut up and sit down you ungrateful little prick. Go find some other way to entertain yourself.' Filch leered, his orange teeth glistening in the light. Sirius pretended to vomit and dodged a sharp hit from Filch's walking stick, or whatever the hell it was.

He stepped into the dining hall, ignoring everyone who watched him. He pulled his hair up into another miniscule ponytail and then grinned charmingly at the girls watching him. Some smiled whereas others pushed their best ... assets out towards Sirius. His arse was grabbed roughly whilst he past and he felt a familiar burning sensation down below. He winked at the girl and licked his lip, resembling a lion for one short moment.

He stood still for a minute, searching every single male face he could for James's. Then he found his best friend, laughing with someone who looked both amused and like he wanted to be somewhere else.

The boy looked up; Italian, Sirius thought, definitely Italian. He hurried over, weeding through the inmates, smiling at some and even pausing to return greetings to a few others who he had never spoken to in his life. Finally, he was at the table.

'Dear God James, if someone else asks me if I'm "Walburga Black's son?" I will explode.'

James threw his head back and laughed. 'Remus, meet my brother, Sirius.'

Sirius held out his hand and shook the other boy's. He had a firm handshake. 'Hello...' He couldn't help his eyes rake over Remus's face and body. He was that cute, dorky sort of handsome. Like he didn't know it and didn't believe it. Now Sirius was sitting opposite him, he could see that Remus wasn't fully Italian, maybe only half? His body was really quite slender, but his arms, which were on display, were thick and muscular.

'Ah, so you're James's gay friend. James didn't say you were quite so ... sexy.' He winked at Sirius, who gulped.

Now, he was shifting from ninety percent straight to maybe ... eighty-five? 'James, you said I was gay? That's a lie Remus. I'm like ninety percent straight, ten percent gay. I've only even been with three guys, or was it four? James, how many guys have I—'

'It was three guys Pads, just three mate. And don't get mad at me, I was trying to hook you two up. But Remus insists he's straight. I say "insists" because I saw the way he was looking at my arse...'

The half Italian threw his head back and laughed softly. 'Fuck off Potter; I'm more straight than you.'

'I like you.' Sirius said shortly. But then he seemed to realise what that sounded like and shook his head, smiling that same, radiant smile. 'No, I mean I like your personality. And your face. And your body too. But I've already got my eye on some girl. You see that mixed-race one over there, with those beautiful big lips? Yeah, imagine those same lips wrapped around my—'

'Thank you Sirius, for the near-graphic explanation of what you've been imagining. Her name's something like Lamer. I think.' Remus told him.

'Lamer.' Sirius whispered, smiling at the side of her face. '"The sea" in French. James, I think I'm in love, she could be the one,' he continued talking about how she was meant for him and they were soul mates and she could well be the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

'Excuse my friend; he gets infatuated with people really quickly. Next week he'll be pining over some other chick as soon as he beds this one. If he tries to pull his moves on you, ignore him? Because you might find yourself in the morning with an achy arse and a killer headache. And an empty bed.'

Remus laughed, once again, and decided he really liked Sirius and James. They'd been here less than three hours and already they'd withdrawn him from that tight cocoon he usually forced himself into. He didn't have to worry about James grassing on him; the bastard was _in_ here for drugs. As for Sirius, he didn't need to worry about the handsome man's advances. He was straight as a ruler.

Maybe a flexible ruler though.

* * *

**A/N:** We've met Remus! How awesome is he? Don't hold out on an SB/RL romance though, that won't happen. They will flirt quite a bit though, so sorry if that confuses you!

Please review.


	4. Remus Lupin

**Disclaimer;** I don't own anything but the plot and the OCS.

**A/N:** I hope you like this, you'll finally learn more about Remus, lots of people have been asking for precisely that, and you'll explore a little more about Sirius's life and James's personality.

Enjoy!

* * *

_xoxo _

_4. Remus Lupin_

They were permitted two hours after dinner to hang out in the library, yard or each other's rooms. Most people did the latter. Or snuck off places to do whatever. It was their third day and Sirius was in James's room. It was exactly like his own, only more exciting. There were food wrappers, plates and roaches; everything Sirius himself liked.

Surprisingly, he was making friends really quickly. The only friend he'd ever really needed was James, and now he had the respect and admiration of many people. _On his third day!_

He threw himself onto James's bed and made a content sighing noise. 'Your bed always seems comfier than mine.'

'Maybe your roommate stashed something under the mattress, it's what I used to do before the second to last roommate I had found it and gave it in. Bastard.' Remus muttered darkly under his breath, fishing for something under his pillow and taking out his packet of Mayfair. He tossed Sirius a fag and then took out his lighter.

'I doubt Peter is brave enough—'

'Peter?' asked Remus, raising an eyebrow before exhaling smoke into the door. He moved up so James could sit down on his bed. 'Peter? Short, blonde, a bit of a pushover?'

'Yep. I'm stuck with him. You know I'm not a bad person, not always, yet they stick me with _him_. I wouldn't have minded a boy at least worth looking at. Peter just gives me a headache. Urgh ... I hate the taste of Mayfair. He gave me Marlboro, the best there is in my opinion...'

'Why haven't you mentioned him before? You shouldn't tell Peter anything.' Remus said shortly. 'Don't trust him, I'm being serious. He'll rat you out if you don't give him stuff, he's ratted me out more than once. And he lies. He lies _a lot._'

'If he even tries to lie to me,' Sirius replied softly, tucking his hair behind his ear, 'I'll get a knife and write my name on the flesh of his back.' A cold and sadistic smile flickered over his face, and he chuckled hard for a moment. Only Remus frowned, James was much too used to the sadistic things his friend said to really give it any thought.

'Is it against the asylum rules then? To have sex?' Sirius asked, scrutinising the distant figures he could see outside the window.

'Unfortunately, yeah. They bring your parents in and put you in Isolation for a few days. You also get put in Iso for fighting, smoking, drugs and sneaking out of your room after hours. The officers and teachers don't really care about smoking, they're used to everyone doing it, Slughorn sometimes gives me a fag if no one's around. But all of the above, they take really seriously, _way_ too seriously.'

James took a notepad from the cabinet and flicked through it. 'So you take lessons too? Real, proper lessons? Like exams and all?'

'Yup. Don't worry though, the year's almost finished. They'll just make you take the things you did before you OD'd on cocaine.'

Sirius didn't know whether to laugh or to frown, but he did smile a little. 'James and his fat gob. He told you about how he gave me the kiss of life then? Or how he sucked me out of the Abyss of Death? Or how—'

'Shut up Pads.'

'Pads. You've called him that all week, what does it stand for?' Remus asked curiously.

'Padfoot. And I'm sure you've noticed him calling me Prongs. Nicknames from years ago, I can't even remember how we first started to call each other by those names...'

Sirius looked up. 'On my eighth birthday. Mother and father rented that carnival and invited all our "friends" there, and then when we went to that little caravan where some old crazy seer was predicting shit. Remember? She said I had the soul of a dog and you had the soul of a deer.'

James clapped his hands together, laughing. 'Oh yeah! She was barking she was. Told Sirius he would do great things in his life. If by that she meant having sex with fifty people by the age of sixteen then yeah, he is a pretty great person, got nothing on me though...'

'You guys look nothing alike.' Remus said quietly.

'Oh, we're not really brothers, but we've known each other pretty much our whole lives.' James told him, running a hand through his hair. 'We've got a little brother called Regulus; I think I have a picture of him in my suitcase ... fuck Sirius ... I'm so horny.'

'What do you want me to do about it?' laughed the long-haired boy. 'I know I'm bi but really, that's just pushing it...'

'Right.' James said absentmindedly. Then he turned to his roommate abruptly. 'Got any lotion Remus?'

'What d'you ... oh, urgh, you're not doing that with _my_ lotion in _my_ bathroom,' he said, blushing bright red, a little shyness seeping into his usually nonchalant façade; 'fuck off and do it somewhere else!'

'When does free time end?' asked Sirius, interrupting James before he could retort. He was answered with an hour and a half. Sirius grinned. 'Enough time for me to find a chick, seduce the chick then _fuck_ the chick.'

'I'll bet three spliffs that you won't get a girl to sleep with you tonight.' Remus laughed, raising an eyebrow in a challenging way. Too bad for him, Sirius Black loved challenges. The handsome dark haired boy grinned once again.

'Challenge taken. I'll bring back her underwear to prove it too.'

_xo_

Her lips were soft against his, and his hands were wandering all over her body. It wasn't Lamer, Sirius was over her for now. Right now he was focused on bringing as much pleasure as he could to Daisy. She had soft beautiful white skin and auburn hair.

Daisy pulled off her top and threw it to the ground, grinning at Sirius. They were in a store cupboard that Sirius had tricked Filch into not only _opening_ but leaving open too. Dumb prick. He had fifty minutes until free time ended. More than enough time.

There was a small desk in the corner and he lifted Daisy, pushing her back and then dropping her onto the desk. Sirius parted her legs, sliding between them, then he grinned at her and started kissing her soft delectable lips again. She started making noises whilst he kissed her neck and her collarbone.

'Take off your top,' she panted, and he complied, stripping the shirt and then the vest off, leaving only his tanned skin for her to see. She traced his muscular chest and stomach, kissing his lips. The door opened but they didn't notice. They were too busy doing ... other things. Severus Snape peeped inside, the lights were dim but the sounds were more than enough for Severus to guess what was going on. He'd seen Sirius Black come in here with a girl.

He slowly withdrew his head and closed the door, the sounds of Daisy's moans both aggravating him and turning him on just a little. He was a little jealous if he was honest. Severus had been here five months now and he hadn't slept with anyone yet. He did have one girl on his mind but he would never ask her out. Lily was too ... she was way out of his league. And Severus would rather be her friend than be her nothing at all.

Sirius barely noticed the door closing, though he did hear the click. He needed to hurry up. 'Can I ...?' he asked, touching Daisy's bra strap. She grinned and nodded. With a flick, he pulled it off.

_xo_

He threw her white knickers at Remus's head, who batted it away. 'Got her,' Sirius laughed, leaning against the doorway. The speakers announced that there were ten minutes left of free time.

Remus gaped a little, looking down at the underwear on the floor. James was roaring with laughter. 'Never underestimate Sirius, Remus. I bet he could get into Filch's pants if he put his mind to it. Now, I believe you owe us—'

'Me, he owes _me_ three joints. Come on, pay up!' Sirius said, holding out his hand.

Remus made groaned exasperatedly, 'I'll roll it and give it to you tomorrow. But you need to bun* it in my room, I don't trust Peter, in fact, I don't even _like_ him.'

'Neither do I, if I'm honest.' Sirius said, sitting on the edge of James's bed and kicking off his shoes. 'Can't I sleep in here tonight?' he asked.

'Sadly, no. Refusing to leave another inmate's room is a day in Isolation, but if it's Slughorn or Edwards or one of the fairies then they'll just dock an hour from free time.'

'This place is like a prison,' Sirius groaned, covering his face with James's foot and then pretending to gag at the smell.

'It _is_ a prison Sirius, as much as you wish it weren't one.'

_xo_

James had never been to a therapy session in his life. It wasn't as exciting as he had hoped it would be. In actual fact, it was a little scary, going to the classroom block and searching for Therapy R3. He blushed a little when his eyes met that redheaded girl's. He smiled at her softly and could have sworn she smiled back.

Now James could see what Sirius saw in the doctor. She was very pretty, and much younger than James had initially thought. Maybe in her late twenties? She opened the door and smiled at him, beckoning him inside. Her office was large, and there were two other people putting away their things; a dark skinned girl and a pale, flushed boy. There was an obvious spark between them, but they were scowling at one another as if they were trying to hide it. Without a word, they left the room.

James sat down where the doctor told him to sit. 'James Potter. It's nice to meet you.' She said, holding out her hand and shaking his. 'Call me Caroline, okay? We're friends here. I hate when people call me by my last name, it makes me feel so old.'

'On the contrary,' James said, shuffling closer to the desk between them, 'you look quite young.'

'Yes well appearances can be deceiving. Like now for instance! One would never guess a posh, rich boy like you would play around with drugs.' She didn't skit around the issue, or approach it tentatively and carefully. She just said it. He respected that.

And he was liking her more by the minute. 'Yeah well, a posh and rich life like mine is no fun. Sometimes we take drastic measures to make sure we have fun.'

'If your friend had died, if Sirius Black had not survived the overdose would you still think the same thing? Would you still feel the same?'

He froze. He thought. He didn't like what he thought but he thought it nonetheless. If Sirius had died, he might have killed himself too. James wasn't being a melodramatic sixteen year old when he said that Sirius was the most _important _person in his life. Without Sirius, there really wasn't a James. That was fact, and though fact sometimes sucked, that didn't make it any less true.

'No.' He said quietly. 'If Sirius had died then I would have killed myself too. Or maybe I would have killed our parents for making our lives suck so much we were driven to drugs in the first place.'

She wasn't trying to conceal the fact that she was writing stuff down or that she was reading a file with a picture of him on it. Her openness was both comforting and a little confusing. She closed the file and clicked her biro. 'I'm sorry. Is he that important to you?'

'Him and his brother. I would do anything for them. Which is why I took some of the blame. I did it to hurt my parents too.'

'A year ago, maybe even before this incident happened a few weeks ago, would you say you felt differently towards your parents than you do now?' Caroline asked, tucking some hair behind her ear and smiling patiently at him.

'Definitely.' James replied. 'I would have told you how much I loved them. How important they are, _were_ to me. How I thought that they hung the moon and the stars, that they were the epitome of greatness. Now I know different obviously.'

'James.' Caroline said softly. 'Why did you do it? Why did you take cocaine with Sirius?'

The short minutes James had spent here with Caroline had really gotten to him, he felt confused now. Whether he was actually here because his family cared for him, or whether it was Aunt Wal and Uncle Orion's influence, the real question was, _w__ere his parents really in the wrong?_ Of course they were. Why would he even question it?

'Are we done here?' He asked rather abruptly, his hazel eyes narrowing behind his spectacles.

Caroline leaned back, chewing on the end of her pen and scanning James up and down. Then she shook her head. 'No, we've still got a few more questions to go through. I want to gather a general picture of who you are and what you're like. Then I've got to give you your medication and you'll be allowed to leave.'

'Well then,' he said rather shortly, 'hurry up and skip to the next question.'

_xo_

Sirius couldn't help but question the looks he got from quite a few of the males in the asylum as he walked through the large and ostentatious dining hall, trying to locate James. His eyes met Daisy's dark brown ones and he winked at her, looking away and running a hand through his glossy black locks.

When he turned he saw those boys; Snape, Mulciber, Avery and Macnair. They were glaring horribly at Sirius, as though they knew a deep and dark secret of his. He spotted James but looked away sharply. He'd go and see what the hell their problem was. With his head held high, he passed through the tables and stopped right before the four boys.

'Yes?' It was Snape who spoke.

Sirius smiled sweetly at him, raising an eyebrow. But then he let his face drop, a horrid sneer replacing the sweet smile. 'Something you wanted to say?' His tone wasn't polite; he'd be damned if he let them take him for some sort of pushover. He wasn't Peter.

It was Mulciber who moved closer. He had a very nice complexion; it was like liquid chocolate, unlike Snape, who had a dreary and greyish skin colour. But Snape had very interesting eyes; like liquid coal.

'You might think because your mum's a model and your dad's an aristocrat, you can walk around here like you own this place. A little tip Black, you better watch where you walk—'

'Fuck off,' Sirius laughed, 'was that supposed to be threatening? Wanna see what threatening really is?'

'Let me guess what you got dumped here for,' Avery piped up, his pale skin glistening in the light, like his pretty short blond hair. 'Stealing your daddy's credit card?'

'More like overdosing on cocaine. So stop acting like you know me, prick.' He snapped the last sentence, laughing when Avery flinched a little.

'Really? Well well, seems like Black's the little rebel.' It was Snape talking now. It seemed like he was the leader, from the way all the others gravitated towards him. 'Just like when I walked in on you and that whore Daisy—'

Sirius leapt across the table. He didn't know where the anger came from, but it was exploding out of him. Sirius threw the table away and proceeded to plummet as much of Snape as he could, until Macnair seized him from behind, choking him. He thrust his elbow out and watched in satisfaction as Macnair started coughing. But then suddenly, something hit the side of Sirius's head and he cried out, falling to the ground hard.

Mulciber was on top of him, choking him. Snape came up too, kicking Sirius. But he wasn't going to take it like some sort of pansy, bowed down and waiting for it to end. With strength even he didn't know, he threw Mulciber _and_ Snape off of him, wiping blood from his lip and his cheek.

He could hear the screams from Slughorn and Adams and all those other guards as they tried to run through the dozens of tables and the crowd forming. 'Is that all,' Sirius leered, 'you've got?' Then he grinned and pounced back onto Snape, devouring him. He clawed, punched, kicked and elbowed the boy until he was bleeding all over his face.

Sirius was suddenly wrenched off and thrown back onto the floor. A body followed his, and James Potter clamped down hard on his friend, using every ounce of strength he had to keep Sirius down. It was hard at first, but soon Sirius's resolve and determination wore away and he was finally still. Before he knew it, he was laughing. His laughs echoed around the enormous and now silent dining hall. The girls from across the hall were watching worriedly, lustfully and even a little amusedly.

'Shut up Padfoot!' James hissed, his hands coming up to cover Sirius's mouth, but the sniggers still escaped, loud enough for everyone to hear. 'Shut up, shut _the fuck_ up!' he seethed, his hands tightening around his friend's body.

An officer James didn't recognise but he soon saw was called Dolohov, walked over with a soft smile on his face. The other officers followed soon after, including one called Greyback. James had only been here three days but he knew the reputation Greyback had. It wasn't a good reputation.

'Brawling? In the dining hall? What sort of nonsense _is this_?' seethed Greyback, spit flying from his mouth. 'Get up boy,' he shouted at Snape, who, with a moan, complied, wiping his bloody mouth and nose. His eyes were swollen shut and James resisted the urge to laugh. Sirius however, didn't resist. He started laughing again and James punched him hard.

'Shut _up_ Sirius!' he said it in a tone that left no room for argument. Sirius shut right up. It suddenly became evident to everyone in the hall that the only person who was able to control Sirius Black was James Potter. He could control, discipline and stop Sirius from exploding in short bouts of anger. Which he was close to doing when Greyback addressed him rather rudely.

'What the fuck d'you want?' he snapped, rolling his eyes up to look Greyback up and down. Dolohov put a hand on Greyback's shoulder, reminding the wild man that he needed to calm down.

'What did you just say?' breathed Greyback dangerously, stepping closer to where James and Sirius were huddled. 'Huh?'

'So you're deaf as well as stupid—'

James was thrown off Sirius, who was dragged out from underneath him. The long haired boy was slammed into the wall, and everyone gasped. It was common for some officers to lash out at the inmates, but they never did it so publicly; almost every student and most of the staff were watching.

Sirius started laughing but then he caught sight of James's expression and he shut his mouth, only a small giggle escaping.

'D'you know who I am?' whispered Greyback, for only Sirius's ears. He shook his head in answer, his piercing grey eyes narrowing. 'I, Sirius Black, am the head of discipline for the boys here in Azkaban. D'you know what that involves?'

Sirius paused and then opened his perfect, round mouth in a jaw-wrenching grin. He nodded, letting his silky black hair fall to cover his eyes. 'Punishments.' He looked delirious.

'Yes,' Greyback hissed, baring his yellowing and sharp teeth. 'Punishments. Four days in Isolation—'

'What?' James cried, hurrying forward, his skin flushing redder. 'You can't do that, _please,_ he won't do it again, I promise!'

'See that Black? Your boyfriend's come to your defence, well, I won't have any of that. Free time taken away Potter. Now shut up and get back or I'll put you in Iso too!'

Jams grit his teeth but when he saw his _brother_ nod, he stepped back, but not before muttering something nasty under his breath. It seemed Greyback wasn't in the mood to deal with James too, and so he ignored it.

'Four days, how does that sound?' Greyback asked, his dark hands tightening. Sirius winced a little and wriggled around.

'Sounds glorious, really does.'

'Good.' Greyback breathed, his eyes tightening. 'Dolohov, I'll take Black down to Iso, you put Potter back into his room, I'm sure he'll stay quiet like the good little boy he is. Isn't that right Potter?'

James frowned.

'Come on Black, stand up straight you useless boy.'

_xo_

James started punching and kicking the wall, screaming at Dolohov when he closed the door shut. Less than a minute later, the door was thrown open. It was Remus, who hadn't been down in the dining hall. He didn't even spare James a glance, instead kicking off his shoes and running into the bathroom.

James heard the loud sounds of retching and then he heard the flush of the toilet a minute after. He looked down at his red raw fists and put them behind his back, turning to face Remus. He was wiping vomit from around his mouth, and his golden brown eyes were watering.

Remus nodded to James, shredding his top off and coughing into his hand. He fell onto his bed and started exhaling heavily, running a hand over his muscular chest. 'James?' he asked quietly. 'What happened?'

'Sirius.' James whispered, sitting besides Remus. 'He got in a fight with Snape and those prats. Got put in Isolation for four days, dammit! I fucking _hate_ that stupid prick Greyback...' He drifted off when he heard Remus hiss in distaste. 'What?' James asked.

'Another story for another day. Let's just say ... me and Greyback don't see eye to eye. In _anything._' He fished out his packet of Mayfair and took out a fag, offering James one. He took it. The room was silent, apart from the sounds of them taking drags and exhaling smoke into the room.

'Why did you...' James questioned in a tentative voice. He didn't want to upset Remus, who reminded him a lot of Sirius, in the sense that he was unpredictable, like an earthquake.

'The pills. I don't have Caroline as a therapist. I have Madam Pomfrey, she's nice and all but she gives me pills, thinking they'll work. It's been thirteen months, they haven't worked. She's dumb if she thinks I'll let her put me under those _invisible handcuffs_, because that's why she's giving me them! Because I didn't kill anyone, they couldn't put me in prison, so instead they chuck me in a mental asylum and shove eight pills down my throat a day.' He was seething; his arms moving enthusiastically and his face contorting into one of anger and disgust.

_What?_ James wanted to ask. He did ask it, albeit the voice in his head saying _no, don't ask, you might not like the answer!_

Remus peeled back some wallpaper from the wall, revealing a small hole. He stuck his hand in, searching blindly for something. He seemed to find it and took out three joints. 'These are for Sirius but ... you need it more. Wanna pass it round or take your own?'

'Pass it,' James replied in a hoarse, low voice.

Remus started burning the end, which had about half a centimetre of paper just dangling. They watched it burn slowly, the silence choking them. It was Remus who spoke first. 'My family are working class. They're not rich but we get by and we live comfortably ... we moved to this lovely house in a small village just outside London. It was nice ... it was really nice...' He looked off into the air, a soft smile coating his face.

'There were some boys, they didn't like me. I put up with it. I've always been closer to girls than boys; I found comfort in the girls who lived nearby. They went to school with me, came round to my house, played games with me, it was fun ... up until I hit puberty. Well the thing is, I didn't really _hit _it. I stayed short and puny whilst all the boys grew. It was embarrassing, and the taunting now took on levels that grew unbearable.'

Remus popped the joint into his mouth and breathed in deeply, letting his head fall back. He exhaled, admiring the joint before popping it back into his mouth. He offered it to James, who took it and sucked in hungrily, savouring the feel of the smoke deep inside his chest. 'Well, I was now fifteen. And though other ... anatomy parts were growing, growing really _big_, my height had barely changed. They took the teasing and taunting to a new level. There was this one boy, he was the worst, he was called Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange. He liked hurting me.'

James was now enrapt in the story, barely noticing the ash dripping onto the thin material of his trousers. He took one last toke before handing it back to Remus. He inhaled and sighed dreamily, licking his lips. 'He set my bike on fire, one day after school. It was because he liked a girl called Kelly and he had seen me going cinema with her the day before. I snapped. The bike had been a present from my grandfather, who had only died a few months before. I got a knife from my house, the blade my father used to slash at the weeds that grow in our garden...

'I found him in the park, with all his other little friends. I asked him if he set my bike on fire, the knife behind my back. He laughed and taunted me, admitting to it. Then I pulled out the knife ... I wish I took a picture of his face when he saw the blade; nine inches. I charged at him with it.' He paused to exhale heavily this time, passing the joint to James for the final time. 'The doctor said if it had gone in an inch more I would have hit his kidney. I wish I did.'

James burnt himself but ignored the tingling pain in his finger. The truth from Remus, the fact that Sirius was in Isolation, the effects of the marijuana – they were all affecting him more than even he knew. His head lulled to the side a little and he exhaled lazily.

'So yeah, if people say to you I'm a fucked up lunatic, well I am. I admit it. But at least _I told you_ the true story. If anyone else told you, it would've been a load of bullshit. Now you've heard the _real_ story from me.'

James passed the last tiny bit to Remus, who raised an eyebrow in surprise. He took it, diminishing it and then throwing it to the floor. There was silence whilst he chose the bigger joints of the two and set one alight. James processed what he had been told slowly, thinking of all the advantages and disadvantages of what Remus had explained to him. He decided it really wasn't that bad. Lestrange was still alive, right?

'I want you,' James said, taking the now blazing joint from Remus and popping it into his mouth, 'to come with me and Sirius.'

'Come where?' The other boy's voice was hoarse, low and husky. He himself was having trouble processing what James was saying; why wasn't he running and screaming? Hadn't he just revealed that he had tried to _kill_ someone? At the age of fifteen? In the morning, James would wake up and understand the full implications of what Remus had just told him. And then he would run; run screaming and begging to be swapped into another room. There was no way he was insane enough to want to remain in a room with a killer, no less _invite_ Remus to something with him and Sirius.

'Out. Me and Sirius never planned to stay here, you see. Why should we sit and wait for our parents to come to their senses? They're ignorant and snobbish and stubborn; they won't realise we're not crazy.'

'Meaning...?' he questioned quietly.

'Meaning we're getting out. We're getting the fuck out, and we plan to do it soon.'

* * *

**A/N:** Likes? Dislikes? Favourite line? Favourite character? Tell me!

"Bun" in this context is a slang verb for smoking weed, i.e. come let's bun this joint together. The term "spliff", usually refers to a joint prepared with cannabis and tobacco, commonly done in European countries, where joints containing only cannabis are rarely smoked.

Thanks for reading, please review.


	5. Adjustments

_Disclaimer; I don't own anything but the plot and the OCs._

_A/N: I loved the response to the last chapter, you guys are awesome! I've replied to all the signed in comments, and I'd love to say thank you to the anonymous reviews; I wish I could respond to your kind words!_

_This chapter is just to ease my faithful and amazing readers into asylum-life etc. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_xoxo_

_5. Adjustments_

It was disorientating, James concluded. And he was sadder than he let on. Without Sirius, he truly felt like he was missing his other half. They were twins, in every sense of the word. He had tried to get in to see Sirius, and had for a second time been reunited with Filch's walking stick. It hadn't been pleasant and James barely managed to restrain himself from popping Filch in the face after they sparred with words for a while.

He also felt betrayed, and without Sirius's manipulative presence, James started to wonder more about his parents. They had always been easily swayed by the Blacks. It was almost like Charlus was a little frightened of Orion. They had been like James and Sirius, only less silly. The Blacks held an influence over the Potters that James did not like. Fair enough, Aunty Wal and Uncle Orion had always been kind to him, treated him like their _own _son even but to Sirius...

Charlus and Dorea were lovely when they weren't influenced by Orion and Walburga. They would never even dream of putting their son away in a giant asylum. But they had. And James only had two people he could blame for that. Their own disgust to Sirius was enough to mess up James's life too – because this would mess up his life. It really would. His education would be fucked, his relationship with his family ... everything.

He put the tray on the rack and waited in line. _At least money bought them some decent food,_ he though bitterly, running another hand through his hair. Some pasta was put in a bowl for him, then the Bolognese soon followed. He grabbed two diet cokes and raised an eyebrow at the woman to dare challenge him. She let him go.

He looked around. He wasn't going to sit alone on a table, nor would he even dream of sitting with those girls smiling at him. More by accident, his eyes drifted to Remus. Remus was sitting with three girls and seemed to be having a blast. Hadn't he always said he got on better with girls? James and Sirius were the first proper males he had gotten on with ever.

James approached them tentatively. He'd never needed to sit with other people; Sirius was always there with him. At school, they had been the popular rich handsome boys who kept to themselves.

'Can I sit here?' his voice was braver and bolder than he thought it would have been; James was proud of himself. He sent Remus one of those secretive winks.

'Course you can,' Remus said, moving a little so James could slip into the chair beside him. He set down his pasta and two diet cokes and slipped into the rather tight space. He wriggled a little to get comfortable and then looked up, only to meet the eyes of the three girls. They were all blushing.

He felt awfully flustered. There was a pretty brunette, another fairly good-looking dark haired girl and the most radiant creature James had ever seen in his life. He ducked his head. She was beautiful; she was the _meaning _of beautiful. It was the one he had seen the other day, the one who had smiled at him.

'What happened then?' Remus asked, trying to ease the air.

'What?' James asked, before clearing his throat and cracking open one of his diet cokes. He drained half of it in one gulp. It was awfully hot in here. He unbuttoned some of his shirt and looked back up at Remus. 'Oh, about trying to sneak in and see Sirius? Filch beat me up when he caught me.'

Remus barely managed to stifle a snicker. 'You're yanking on my tits, he's not allowed—'

'I'm not! Honest. He was a little ... rude, and I thought a few insults would do him good. The cocky bastard needs to be put down a few pegs. I may have also mentioned his mother, but that was by accident, I promise.'

Everyone started laughing, even the pretty redhead. James felt like he had scored a point, and he smiled back at her dashingly. 'I'm James,' he said, holding out his hand.

She took it with her awfully soft hand, her touch lingering. 'I'm Lily.'

Remus smiled knowingly at the pair, but then James covered up his blunder and shook the hands of the other girls; Marlene was a year and a half older than them and it was her month here before she would be released, and Alice was a year younger and still had a year to go here. Now he looked properly, he decided Alice was rather stunning too. She had a golden tinge to her skin, maybe she was part Spanish or something? Her eyes were large and dark brown and her long hair was almost black.

'What are you going to do then? He's still got three more days after "the Incident" with those pricks. And I'm not having you moping around our room like you've lost your soul or something—'

James barked a laugh and elbowed him. 'Fuck off, I don't _mope around —'_

'Yes you do. Are you sure you're not gay?'

Remus hadn't taken the escape idea well. He said it couldn't be done and he even laughed at it. But he didn't know just _how _intelligent James and Sirius were. In their school they weren't only known as the handsome boys or the rich boys, they were known at the fucking intelligent boys. They were the top of their year, the top of their school even if one wanted to exaggerate as much.

Things between them had been better after Remus told James the story. He told the blondish brown haired boy that he respected him and he thought he was brave. Their weak, young friendship strengthened. It was nice.

But what wasn't nice was the fact that Remus was _mocking _James and his plan to get out with Sirius. But James would prove him. Of course he would.

'Of course I'm not gay and even if I was _believe _me, Sirius would be the last on my list. Forgetting that he's like my brother and not even really gay, he's the most demanding living _thing _on this godforsaken earth. He also takes about three hours in the bathroom, he snores and he can't cook. So really, whoever ends up with him in the future is _screwed._'

The girls exchanged amused and slightly alarmed expressions whilst Remus clapped James on the back. 'You just described yourself mate—'

'Fuck off,' James laughed, digging into his pasta.

It was then that he noticed Peter, sitting near them. The boy was alone and obviously listening in on their conversation. He had already finished his food but was pretending to eat. He also looked incredibly sad. Maybe Sirius was a little too harsh on Peter, and by that James meant anyone who could supply them with Marlboro had to be cool in their books.

'I have therapy at the end of the week,' James groaned, running a hand through his hair and draining the last bit of his diet coke. He was about to start on the second one when he saw that Remus had already opened it and was drinking from it, by _mouth._

'You're such a pain in the arse.' He snapped, getting up. 'Anyone want a drink?'

'Diet coke,' Lily asked, rolling her eyes when he grinned at her. They were soul-mates.

'Sprite!' Alice chirped, sticking her pretty face in front of Lily's and waggling her tongue.

'Water.' Marlene interjected, smiling softly.

When James was at the counter, leaned over with his cute little booty pointing out towards them, Lily knew it was over. She had a crush on him. And when he came back and handed her the can of diet coke, their fingers brushed and she was done for. Dear God, she was done for.

_xo_

Sirius immediately came to the conclusion that he hated it here, in Isolation. There was nothing to do apart from sit, eat and go toilet. He thought a lot. He came to quite a few revelations here in Iso. Like how he hated his parents officially; before it had been an underlying emotion, pushed behind all the other things he felt. But now he knew it. He hated them and he wanted nothing to do with them, except their money of course, it was _his money too!_

He also decided that he shouldn't really hate the Potters. It wasn't their fault they were pushovers and fell easily under the influence of the Blacks. It was normal; it was natural to submit to the alpha. He couldn't blame them; he could only blame his parents for what they had done. Why did they go and drag James into this whole mess?

It was his last day in here though, it was his fourth day. The first thing he would do when he got back to the mainstream Azkaban society would be to find someone and have crazy animal sex; he was so horny.

The door clicked open and the head of Greyback popped in. He had a vicious grin on his tanned face. 'It's been four days Black.'

'I know how to count.' Sirius snapped back, his eyes narrowing. He was sitting hunched on the floor, the bed opposite him and the window barred shut. The lights (which had been off seeing as the only source of illumination had been coming from the windows) flared on and Sirius scowled, his eyes struggling to adjust. He looked up at Greyback and winked at the man handsomely, licking his lips.

'You fags make me sick.' Greyback spat, stepping into the small dingy room.

'You pigs make me sick, if there's anything I hate more than my parents, it's the police and prison guards and asylum guards and all you bastards who think you're above the law.' Tiredly, Sirius looked up to meet the eyes of Greyback, smiling tightly.

The tall officer leaned forward, grabbing Sirius by his throat and slamming him into the wall. He pressed his nose against Sirius's and bared his teeth. 'You think, _Black,_ you're so clever—' he spat the word, and Sirius was tempted to wipe his face. 'But you're nothing; down here it's us "pigs" who run the town.'

He threw Sirius out of the room, who stumbled and fell. Then he dragged the smaller boy by his collar and through the corridors. It was dinner time, and Sirius was terribly tired. He scowled when Snape, Mulciber and another boy he didn't know waved at him, laughing and sneering.

Greyback made Sirius seem like a joke, but he could still see some of the adoring glances from the girls walking past. Greyback made sure to keep a tight hold on Sirius as he marched them to the dining hall. It was packed, and the tables were full. Sirius was thrown forward once again, staggering and barely managing to regain his balance. He glared at Greyback and walked away, his head held high.

The bags under his eyes were deep and dark, his hair was half up half down but his face was stretched into a wide smirk. He sent another look at the tall officer, and dodged the swinging baton.

He saw James and felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders; the only people he needed in his life were James and Regulus. His bespectacled brother saw him and got up, waving and grinning. All the girls and a few boys even "aah-ed" at the two friends, hurrying towards each other.

'You're such a dick!' James bellowed, hitting Sirius hard in the stomach then embracing his dear friend and squeezing him hard. 'I've never been so fucking mad at you in my _life_ Padfoot!'

'Fags—' Mulciber said.

'Fuck you!' Sirius roared, flashing his dangerous prowling sneer. Then sharply, he turned away. He looked at James. Was it possible to miss someone so much you felt like dying, in the space of four days? The longest he had been apart from James had been six days, when the Potters were on holiday to South Africa. Sirius had thrown a series of violent, loud and rather annoying tantrums which ended in his parents giving up and sending him to South Africa too to meet the Potters.

'I missed you _so _much Jamie, if I'm ever a prick again, tell me! I'll massage your feet and I'll ... I'll even give you a hand job if you're too tired—'

James started laughing, one of those cute laughs where he wrapped his arms around his middle and crouched low to stop from laughing too loud. 'If there's anyone who'll give me a hand job, it'll be that hot redhead a few tables back.'

Discretely, Sirius turned to face her. She was watching them with a small smile on her face, and her friends were watching too. In fact almost all of the inmates were watching. She was really very pretty.

They sat on their own table so they could catch up; James told him about how Remus had ended up here and to say Sirius was shocked was an ... understatement. He gasped.

'I don't believe you,' he said shortly. 'That little ... well he's not little but that shy old thing? You're having a laugh!'

'I'm not Pads, I promise.' James said. 'I thought so too, but there's got to be a reason why he's this shy and everything. Besides, that's a _good _thing for when we take him on our—' his voice dropped and he leaned in to whisper into Sirius's ear, 'expedition.'

Sirius started laughing, running a hand through his hair. 'That should be fun. I'm so happy I'm back. If they even _try _to separate us...'

'I know Paddy, I know.'

_xo_

There were two guards and an older woman, she must have been in her fifties or something. James was lounging on the bed, watching the scene.

The guards were searching everything. They had already done James's side, even checking his body. And now it was Remus's turn. But they would never find it. He was good at hiding stuff. Like he would leave his stash out in the open.

His bed was flipped over and each individual metal bar was being searched thoroughly, more thorough than James's searching. The officers, in their black uniform and with their batons hanging from their waists, looked awfully terrifying. They threw belongings around the room, picked up stuff and tossed them back. And whenever Remus or James made a noise of protestation, they would raise an eyebrow in challenge.

'Oi, officer,' James asked, a question forming in his head, 'what days do visitors come?'

'It depends,' the officer said tiredly. 'You're a boy, or at least I _think _you are, so it's either Monday, Wednesday or Thursday.'

James made a face between a wince and a grimace. 'Huh, funny. So ... how long do they stay for?'

'An hour.' The officer replied shortly.

'Do we get our own rooms with our parents or are we in a room with all the other inmates?'

'It depends how much your parents are paying for Azkaban, why the questions?' The officer asked.

'No reason...' James replied bluntly, turning away to look out of the window. The weather was beautiful and a bunch of the inmates were engaged in a rough football match. He would've loved to go and play, being an incredible footballer himself, but he didn't. Because him and Remus needed to have "The Chat".

The officers left the room, only leaving the old woman. She dropped a bag on the floor, scowled at Remus and James and then left, closing the door with a snap behind her.

Remus waltzed over to the bag and picked it up, throwing the contents onto his bed. There were two bottles of shampoo and conditioner, four cans of deodorant, two bars of soap, hair-removal cream which barely even worked (the asylum stopped distributing razors after a boy made a small knife with it and stabbed another inmate) and a laundry bag.

'So, what do we...?' James began, but then he watched what the other boy was doing. He was gathering all of his clothes (they had been neatly folded before the guards tossed them about) and dumping them into the large bag: underwear, socks, vests, tops, trousers, pyjamas – everything.

James tiredly got up and did the same. 'They're so demanding in here.' He sighed, fishing for his clothes from under his head. It took ten minutes to locate the three sets of clothing and his pyjamas, but he finally did. Back at home in London, he had a maid who did all of this.

'Remus,' he said, 'did you consider what I talked about a few days ago?' his voice, even to his ears, sounded tentative and nervous. Remus made him nervous.

The other boy sighed, shrugging off his vest and opening the windows. It really was hot in here. He lay down on his bed and played with the bare skin of his stomach. 'I haven't been able to think of anything else. I looked at your records—'

'What? How?' James exploded excitedly.

Remus's golden brown eyes met James's hazel ones. They looked at each other for a long time. 'You don't need to know ... yet. But your academic results from tests and exams are insanely good. You're target grade is an A* and you're crazy awesome at sports mate. Like the star football player in your school, right? I can't help but think that if anyone was to successfully break out, it would be _you._ And don't get me started on all the great things I saw on Sirius's file.'

'Fuck.' James breathed. 'Are there any files about the officers and teachers and ... therapists?' He knew what Sirius was going to do; something dirty and naughty and very sneaky. If it didn't work, it's not like Caroline would report Sirius or anything because she'd be in even more trouble than him. But all would be revealed in due course.

'Yes, there are files about everyone. For staff, it's records on family, old jobs, pros and cons about them, everything really. Like on your file, it said _"Would do anything for his family, specifically Sirius Black and Regulus Black." ... _Well, it said something like that.'

'Fuck,' James repeated, beaming wildly now. 'That's good, that's really good. We could use that for when we break out—'

The door opened and in stepped a woman. She looked very strict and severe. Her hair was pulled back into a brutally tight bun. Her skin was a pasty sort of pale and her lips were thin and pulled into a dissatisfactory grimace.

'Ms McGonagall.' Remus cheered, laughing when she sighed.

'Lupin,' she said, nodding softly at him. Then she turned to face James. 'Potter ... I've read a _lot _about you, I've _heard _a lot about you.'

'Oh,' James replied, 'am I famous or something?'

'Or something.' She said curtly, searching through the bundle of papers in her hands and pulling out two. 'You're timetables for lessons, which start in three days, as you well know.'

'No actually, I didn't know.' James told her, taking the sheet of paper from her. Four periods of Science, five periods of Maths, five periods of English, four for Sports, two for therapy, three for Religious Studies, four for History and three for Geography; this was the perfect timetable. He hoped Sirius had the same.

'Are you happy with everything Potter?' McGonagall asked tiredly, 'or would you like to consult with your other half?'

'I want to consult with my "other half" first,' he snapped, scowling at her. She smiled tightly at him and then left, the door closing with a snap. 'Bitch,' he whispered, getting up and peeling off his top.

He looked out of the window to the group of girls clustered around one of the trees, enjoying their free time. Then he started laughing.

'What?' Remus asked, jumping up and standing besides James. Then he saw what the other boy saw. Sirius was sitting with the girls, and he had one girl sitting on _his _lap. They were whispering into each other's ears and grinning and laughing. The girl, James realised with a jolt, was _Alice_ – the half Spanish one.

'Well isn't Alice a little whore...' James joked, elbowing Remus.

'I think it's your brother who's the whore James.' He told the bespectacled boy. They sat down, not in the mood to watch Sirius pull yet again another girl. Remus pulled out his usual packet of Mayfair and James, as he now often did, took a cigarette and lit it using the end of Remus's blazing fag.

'So, as I was saying before we were interrupted ... what_ have _you been thinking about regarding the thing I told you about?'

'I've been thinking about how it's mad, and we'll be fined ten thousand pounds each for attempted escape, as was in the terms and conditions on the contract your parents signed. I was thinking about how, if the damaged property is severe enough, because we're going to have to damage property to get out, we could end up in a more severe correctional facility, i.e. prison. A _real _prison James! And in that prison we won't have a games room and get to watch TV, we won't get to listen to our iPods and we won't have our own showers.'

James bit his lip. Now Remus put it like that ... he wasn't all that comfortable with the idea himself. 'But,' Remus concluded, 'if we do this right, we can evade all of that. Because this asylum is _like _a prison and a ten thousand pound fine is the least my parents can do to apologise for dumping me here. I like this idea James,' he whispered the last sentence. 'I _really _really like it.' He said softly, ducking his head. 'But I'm scared. What if we build expectations only to have them knocked down...?'

'What if I promise Remus? What if I promise to get _you _out of there as well as myself? You said you've been in here so long you've forgotten what it was like to live outside Azkaban. Well I haven't! I promise, I _promise_ I'll get you out. Even if I get stuck here or put in prison or fined ten grand, as long as you and Sirius make it out, I'm happy.' His voice was so sincere; the tawny haired boy knew that he was telling the truth. He would do everything he could to make sure this deluded dream came true.

'Why would you want to get Sirius out even if it meant you'd be split up, maybe even forever?' he questioned after a long silence filled only with the sound of their inhales and exhales.

'Pretty much the whole asylum thinks he's barkin' mad. But you haven't even touched the _tip _of the iceberg where Sirius is concerned. He's so much more deluded then you think ... and he needs to get out before he shows you just how deranged he can be.'

_xo_

'Hello Sirius, or would you prefer me to call you Mr Black?' asked the pretty therapist, Caroline.

Sirius grinned at her. 'Sirius is fine.' He liked the way she said it, it was sexy. Like the way Alice had been saying his name yesterday evening. He liked the way she said his name, in that breathy gasp of hers.

Caroline's pale skin glowed with a tinge of pink as she blushed. She turned away and looked through the filing cabinet besides her, before pulling out a particularly thick file. "BLACK, Sirius" was printed on the front, as well as a picture of him. The same picture that had been taken on Sirius's first day here.

'So, Sirius ... why d'you think you're here?'

He smiled a little deliriously at her, closing and opening his eyes again and again to cool down. He felt really energised. But maybe it was just because he'd had the best sex in a while last night. 'My parents hate me.'

Caroline looked up at him, shocked. 'W-what do you mean?' she asked.

'My parents don't like me. They hate me. So they dumped me here because I've disgraced them too much and they want people to think they're doing something to help "fix" me.' He leaned back in the comfortable chair and put his feet up on the desk.

'So you don't think it was because you overdosed and almost died?' Caroline questioned him, her right hand whizzing on the notepad she jotted down on during therapy sessions.

'They know I mess around with drugs, they've seen my stashes before. It's only now because magazines and newspapers printed that the great Orion and Walburga Black have a druggie for a son that they felt they had to do something about it.'

Caroline stopped writing and set down her pen. 'Sirius ... you honestly don't think you're here because you hurt your parents and scared them?'

'Honestly? Nope. I would be dumb and naive to think that. I know my parents Caroline, and they never do anything if it doesn't benefit them. Especially something like this.'

She put the file down onto the coffee table in front of her. 'Would you like a drink Sirius? Coffee? Tea?'

'Coffee please. Black, five sugars. You know, because Blacks are always sweet.' He smirked when she laughed a little, getting up to make him his drink. His eyes were glued to her arse, especially when she bent down to retrieve a mug from the bottom shelf. After five minutes, he was nibbling biscuits and sipping his coffee.

'I'm shocked if I'm honest.' She admitted after a moment. 'I'd expected you to deny the incident that happened, I even expected you to give me a full-blown confession. But I didn't anticipate you blaming your parents for all of this—'

'But they _are _to blame! They made my life a living hell! They'd give me money and tell me to fuck off, they'd lie to me, they'd even _bully _me. I swear, it's their fault I almost died. I would never have turned to drugs if they'd just act like I was their son and not some monster.' His face was flushed and his teeth were bared. He breathed in and out for a long moment, closing his eyes.

James voice filled his head; crooning and telling him to calm down. Caroline waited patiently.

'You don't understand what your parents have been through. Try for one moment sweetheart,' he smiled softly when she said "sweetheart", 'to pretend you're Mr and Mrs Black, you're son has almost died from a cocaine overdose, he's been sent off to a correctional facility. How would you feel?'

Sirius paused, still smiling from the term of endearment she had used to address him. Then he processed the question and really _thought_ ... he thought hard. 'I'd be heartbroken.' She nodded and started to write, but Sirius wasn't finished. 'However, my parents don't have hearts to break.'

Caroline sighed.

_xo_

They were sitting in the dining hall. James had his customary cans of diet coke besides his bowl of apple crumble, whereas Sirius had his three bottles of water, a can of Pepsi and an orange. He drained two bottles of water then started on his orange, ignoring the amused glances passing between Remus, Alice and Lily.

James was quiet. Whenever Lily was near, he was quiet. She sat with them only sometimes. Maybe one every few days. But because _Alice _wanted to sit with Sirius (she was deluded if she thought something could ever happen between the both of them) Lily had been forced to come along. She was really good friends with Remus, and James felt that if he wanted Lily he needed to go through Remus first.

Peter, like last time, was sitting alone on a table beside them. He had finished his food and seemed to be playing with the top of Pepsi can. He bit his lip and sent a hurried glance toward the others before quickly looking away.

That was until Snape and his crew walked past. It was Mulciber who paused in front of Peter. 'Pettigrew!' he said. Both Sirius and James turned when they heard that voice; a mixture of a sneer and a hiss. 'Why aren't you sitting with us? You're all alone.'

Snape who was standing next to Mulciber laughed. But then his eyes met Sirius's. As if in slow motion, his eyes passed over Sirius to James and then to Lily. Her furious yet brilliant green eyes met Snape's stirring black ones. Something passed between them, but then they looked away from each other, ignoring one another.

'I might even let you lick my plate clean this time,' Avery piped in, chuckling with the others.

'I-it's okay, I'm going to stay here.' His voice was quiet and tentative compared to the confidence and bluntness the others spoke with. It was Snape who told the others to move away.

'He's not worth it, he's boring me if I'm honest,' Snape had said, meeting Lily's eyes again for the second time that day. She made a noise between a sigh and a grunt.

'We'll catch you later then Pete!' Mulciber called, taking his tray and walking in the opposite direction, the others lagging behind. It seemed like Mulciber was the leader today. But Sirius and James didn't care who the leader was today; they didn't like any of them.

_xo _

Peter closed his eyes, ignoring the sounds of Sirius and his newest lover. Oh, no, he was wrong. It was still Alice. Only, yesterday it had been someone entirely different. He was cheating on Alice. But then again, Sirius had never made him and Alice official.

Alice started moaning really loudly, and Peter could hear Sirius telling her to be quiet. The creaking of the bed was constant and loud. Alice's moans, despite what Sirius said, grew louder. Peter could hear Sirius chuckling and gasping, he could hear pants as well now – it was all too much!

He turned over in his bed, making sure that they could hear him. The creaking of the bed stopped, as did the moaning and the gasping. They started laughing again and whispering. Peter could only hear a few words – 'shh!' and 'oh fuck!'

But after a few minutes of silence, it all started up again. Peter turned over for the millionth time, grabbing one of his pillows and covering his face with it. This was going to be a long night, he thought angrily.

In the morning, Alice was gone and Sirius was naked, in his bed. Peter knew he was naked because he could see quite a large portion of the handsome boy's arse. They all went down to breakfast. And by _all_, Peter meant Sirius dashed off to meet his boyfriend James. Peter decided now of all times, he should be bold. After he collected his breakfast (he got a full English) he slammed it down onto their table and looked Sirius straight in the eye.

'I'm sick of waking up to the sound of you and your latest love interest having sex, laughing and making noises. It's not fair on me! I share that room with you too!'

Sirius tiredly looked up. His shirt was most unbuttoned, his hair was pulled into that miniscule ponytail all the girls seemed to love, and his mouth was contorted into a tight smile. 'Really Peter? You're sick of it? Well then, you can sleep in the fucking bathroom can't you?'

James started laughing. 'Shut up and sit down.' He said shortly. 'You're a virgin aren't you? You're all shy and flustered and annoyed because my bro here Sirius is bringing back chicks to your room. Get used to it mate. I have.'

'What are you even _in _here for?' Sirius laughed, elbowing James. They looked at each other and grinned. It was a look that sent chills down the back of Peter's neck. It was a look of love, tenderness, malice and mischief.

Peter blushed and looked down. 'You wouldn't believe me anyway.'

'And you wouldn't believe half the shit we've done. Go on, try us.' Sirius raised an eyebrow in a challenge.

James beamed at Peter. It was a smile that made Peter feel like he had friends. But he knew they were tricking him; they just wanted his story. He opened his mouth and started to talk anyway:

'I guess you could say it all started when my mother started dating this guy. He was a horrible guy; he used to take money whenever he wanted, he used to call me names and shout at my mum. The usual "Mr-Wrong" story. But my mother was starting to choose him over me. She stopped buying me whatever I wanted, she stopped coming to my violin recitals and she stopped hugging and kissing me.

'Then, four months ago, I stole five thousand pounds from her and her bastard boyfriend, took a flight to Las Vegas and tried to start a life there. But they found me. Of course they would find me. It scared me how fast they found me. My mum's boyfriend, his name's Mick, he beat the fuck out of me and then got my mum to send me here. I haven't spoken to _him _since. But my mum still comes once every few months...'

Sirius didn't know what to say. Neither did James. Was sorry adequate enough? Even though Peter was a punk, a prick and a bit of a nasty bastard, he obviously didn't deserve half the shit they said to him. And in Sirius's case, half the shit he _did _to the poor boy. He just nodded. It seemed better to nod than to apologise. Apologies made things awkward.

'How did you steal that much money from your mum and Mick?' James asked quietly.

'I'm good at getting things if I want them. People don't notice me. That's the first step to successfully stealing something.' He sounded much older and wiser when he answered the question. It was unnerving for James and Sirius, but for Peter, it was exhilarating. He had never seemed as wise as he did now. But then again, he hadn't really told anyone his story. Except Remus, who he thought was his friend. They obviously weren't anymore though.

'Well then,' Sirius broke the silence. 'I guess I could try and ... and be quieter when I'm with a girl...' And just like that, the Marauders were made.

They weren't aware, they might never be. But it was the start of something beautiful.

Something _very _beautiful.

'Thanks,' Peter replied awkwardly, sipping his drink. 'I'd appreciate that.'

* * *

_A/N: Feel free to tell me any criticism and I'll definitely take it on board! 6. First Encounters - is the next chapter, where we learn a little bit more about Lily, we discover more about Remus's home life and of course, Sirius and James's friendship goes through a test, a test from Snape and his gang._

_Thanks for reading, I'm so grateful, you guys rock, especially after I saw how many reviews I got last chapter!_

_Take care!_

_-xo_


	6. First Encounters

**Disclaimer;** I don't own anything but the plot and the OCs.

**A/N:** Sorry for the lack of updates recently! I've had a really busy holiday! I hope you enjoy this chapter, there's more insight on Lily's character because people were asking what Lily got put in for ;P

If you haven't left a review, please do leave one. Not an essay, just a few words!

Have a wonderful day, enjoy the olympics and take care.

* * *

_xoxo _

_6. First Encounters_

Sirius, at least once a day, took to wandering around the Azkaban Asylum. He was investigating, discovering and most importantly, he was adjusting. He needed to adjust more to the grounds and the facilities, he needed to test the officers and guards; see which ones were "fairies" as Remus called them, or "pigs".

He was also sizing up all the other inmates. Sirius was watching the aggressive inmates, the ones who got in fights and played sports and took territory of the batting fields. He regarded the shy inmates, the ones who stuck to themselves in the library or in the corners of the large yard. He even observed the kiss-arses; the ones who sucked up to the staff.

It was like a huge sociology experiment. He loved it. So far, Sirius concluded that the asylum was split into three groups. The popular inmates; the ones who showed off and who got in arguments and fights. Then there were the serious ones, the crazy ones who truly were mental. They were the ones who got meds each day and who had intense therapy sessions. The last group was the ones in denial, the ones who thought there was nothing wrong with them. The ones who pretended this was a normal boarding school or something their parents had sent them to out of hatred instead of care.

Sirius knew he fit mostly in the first two categories, whereas for James it was the first and the last. He could read his friend like a book; James would never admit but he was hurt by what his parents had done; he thought he wasn't in the wrong. He believed it was all down to Sirius's parents and his own parents.

Sirius had just come from therapy. It had been a little awkward and ended ten minutes early. He was trying his hardest to get under Caroline's skin; so far it was working. He answered all her questions with a question of his own, he flirted relentlessly and he tested his powers of seduction. And if that crazed, wanton expression she sent him when he took off his top (under the pretence it was too hot) was any indication of how well he could seduce, then Sirius was Adonis, but maybe mildly fitter.

He spent more time in James's room than his own. Somehow, their room seemed more fun. Remus refused outright to have Peter join them. But it wasn't much of a loss. If Sirius was completely honest, he rarely even noticed the boy when he _was _with them. He threw open the door and was immediately hit with the smell of weed.

Sirius licked his lips. 'Puff-puff-pass. You know the rules.' He told them, jumping on Remus's bed and sprawling himself on top of the other boy. 'Hey Remy,' he said, nuzzling Remus's neck and taking a swipe with his tongue. He grinned when the other boy flushed red.

'I'm not gay.'

They had this conversation at least once an hour. It was amusing. 'You say that now ... but after a kiss from me, you'll be bent as a—'

'Okay Sirius, shut up,' James said, holding out the joint to his brother. 'Anyway, I've got good news. As you well know, lessons start tomorrow. I've got a plan. But first we need to draw a map.'

Sirius exhaled, pulling his sex-face and admiring the tang the joint left in his mouth. 'This is some good shit Remus ... okay Jimmy ... a map? What would we use it for—?'

'Use your brain babe, what else would we use it for? The escape. I plan that in the next three months we'll be out of here.' James told him, clapping his hands and grinning wildly.

Remus started shaking his head. 'Three months is ambitious James. _Really _ambitious. We need to draw a map of this _whole _place, bearing in mind we can't get into the staff wing or the girls' wing to map it out. And what about the underground tunnelling? We need precise maps of them and I don't know how we'd be able to get them ... then there's the fact that Azkaban is in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing for a thirty mile radius. We'd need transport and someone from the _outside _to help us.'

James was quiet for a moment, but it was Sirius who started talking, passing the joint to Remus as he opened his mouth. 'We have contacts outside Azkaban, _loads _of contacts. Kingsley, a great friend of mine, he could bring transport. I could just send a letter—'

'Which they read and they check to see whether it has any dangerous information! _Fuck_,' Remus exclaimed, 'we haven't thought about this!'

'My family are paying a lot for this institute. I get an unmonitored visit with my parents for an hour. I can slip it to Regulus; he's intelligent enough to post it. Or to _get _someone to post it.'

Remus scoffed, 'This whole rescue mission getaway is riding on a six year old?' he said sceptically. 'You've got to be kidding me.' He peeled back the wallpaper and took out another joint, slowly lighting it and watching it burn.

'You don't know him...' Sirius's voice was blunt, but then he smiled nostalgically, looking off out of the window and smirking, 'he's the cutest kid in the world. He's so clever too, I think he inherited more brains than me. He'll do it, and he'll do it good, I promise. I know my brother.'

There was a comfortable silence. 'Look,' James said exasperatedly. 'We can't plan anything without a map. Now, I can't draw. Who's going to come forth and save us from this terrible—?'

'I'll do it.' Remus laughed. 'I've been here longer. I'll do as much as I can do. And then I'll tell you what parts I can't do. I'm sure we'll get most of it covered though...'

James sighed angrily. 'It's just the staff rooms and the fucking girl area that we wouldn't be able to do!'

Sirius mused James's hair affectionately, and the bespectacled boy cooled down considerably. 'It's alright James ... have faith mate.'

'Remus...' James said after a while. 'You know Lily...'

Remus started laughing. 'The girl who you're obsessed with? Yeah, I think she rings a bell.'

James stuck his tongue out, rolling his eyes. 'You seem to be pretty close to her.'

Remus sighed softly and nodded. 'She's a great girl. I don't think she's your type though. She doesn't drop her panties the moment you give her "The Look" and she's really quite intelligent and strong-willed. I don't think you'd stand a chance with her ...'

'But she smiles at me, smiles at me a lot! I think I have a crush on her.' James exhaled into the room, wrinkling his nose. 'Too bad I'll never see her again after we break out. It would be nice to hook up with her before the escape though.'

Remus chuckled for a moment, shaking his head. 'She'd never have a fling with someone. She has too much ...' he gave Sirius a hard look, 'respect for that.'

'Oi!' Sirius roared, poking Remus.

They continued to poke and flirt with one another, and it was giving James a bit of a headache. 'Will it be easier during the school term? To plan and stuff?'

Remus nodded after grinning when Sirius whispered filthy nothings into his ear. 'Shut up Sirius ... yeah, it gets a lot easier. The officers loosen up; most of them are teachers you see. So they have lots on their plate. Like Slughorn; he's an officer and a biology teacher. So he has a _lot _on his plate. You could literally smoke a joint in front of him and he wouldn't even notice.'

'Really?' Sirius mused. 'I'd love to test that theory out.'

'What about your whole plan with that therapist Sirius...'

Sirius raised an eyebrow. 'It's working, or at least, she's attracted to me. Which is the same as our plan working. I'll test her limits and who knows, maybe I'll be in her knickers by the end of the month.'

'You're vile you are.'

_xo_

Lily peeked past the bookcase yet again. She was furious, she was. That librarian bitch had put her on library duty. Madam Pince or whatever the hell her name was. The first hour had ticked away painfully slow, each painstaking second resonating for what felt like ten minutes.

But then _he _had come. With his really handsome friend. They were sitting on one of the tables (which broke Madam Pince's Library Laws; law number three) and were flicking through books and messing around. James hit Sirius with another hardback and laughed softly when Sirius swore and massaged his forehead.

'—always hitting _me_—'

'I'm sorry Pads,' James said, but the apology meant nothing. He was still laughing, the amusement showing on his face. They continued messing around loudly. The library had a NO TALKING policy. Had Pince been here, they would have been kicked out a while ago.

Many people didn't really care though about how much noise the boys were making. They were too absorbed in the "fishes" – prison slang for what newcomers were called. Both boys were posh and rich and handsome, and had already made a considerable number of friends _and _foes. They were the talk of the asylum, even though it had been a week. They were adjusting really quickly and really well.

Lily really did have no choice but to strut over to them and frown. 'You guys need to quieten it down. When Pince comes back, she'll wring all our necks.'

James looked up at her, his expression first one of nonchalance, and then soon becoming one of desire and attraction and shyness. 'Hi...' he said softly.

Lily ducked her head, smiling gently down at her shoes. 'Hello. C-could you guys just shut up though? It'll be a shame if I have to kick you out.' Lily was never like this. She was a brave, independent, strong woman who never blushed when a boy talked to her, or dulled down her thoughts and feelings so as not to offend anyone. She was fierce, powerful and definitely _not _a hussy.

Because part of Lily's fiery mind was saying 'TELL THOSE BASTARDS TO SHUT THE FUCK UP!'

'You wouldn't kick _us _out, would you?' Sirius breathed sexily, leaning closer to her and batting his eyelashes. 'Me and James, the prettiest people in this whole dump, apart from you of course.'

James roughly elbowed Sirius, telling him with his eyes to shut up. 'We'll keep it quiet, apologies, my lady.'

Sirius was intelligent, he really was. Which was why he got up and stretched, revealing a little strip of white skin. 'I think I'll go and look for a book, one about—' he squinted his eyes so he could read the label on the furthest bookcase from them, 'microorganisms. Ooh, interesting!' before either of them could object, he dashed off, pausing to flirt with some girls sitting around a table close to the microorganisms collection.

James was the first to look back at Lily, who was glaring at Sirius's retreating figure. 'Am I that horrible that you don't want to be alone in my presence?' he joked, his hazel eyes sparkling behind his lenses.

Lily shook her head. 'It's not that. It's ... I don't usually feel _this _attracted to someone I've just met. That's all.'

Her honesty surprised James, it was a pleasant surprise but he suddenly realised that she was a girl who wouldn't take shit from anybody. He realised he _couldn't _get into her knickers on the first "date" and he _wouldn't _be in for a smooth and fun ride. Fun, maybe. Smooth however? No chance. She was like Aunty Wal; she didn't take crap from no one.

'You're attracted to me?' he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Lily tilted her head. Her long vivid red hair was pulled up into a loose bun on the top of her head. She was wearing her asylum uniform with confidence and it fit her body like a glove, though it wasn't supposed to do. Her skirt was knee length and her shirt was unbuttoned slightly, revealing the top of a plain white bra. Her skin was a little tanned and a little rosy.

James subconsciously licked his lips, bringing his eyes back to her brilliant green emerald irises. She rolled her eyes. 'Stop acting like you've never heard girls say those words before.'

'Yeah well ... they've never said it quite so outright before.'

'I'm an outright girl.'

James smirked, his eyes dancing. 'I like outright girls...'

'Lily—' a voice interjected. Both Lily and James turned to face the voice. It was Snape. Severus Snape. Behind him were his gang, they were _his _gang today. No doubt tomorrow they would be Avery's or Mulciber's.

She started a little and then frowned. Lily stepped back a little behind James, not because she was hiding from Snape or anything, but because she wanted to put as much space as possible between them. He made her sick. He had been one of her best friends here, but after what he did...

'What do you want Sev-Snape?' she corrected herself quickly, flushing a deep red colour. 'Just go away.'

Mulciber and Avery and a few other boys who James did not recognise started laughing. They pretended to throttle themselves and stuck their tongues out, closing their eyes. Were they pretending to be dead? Lily's lip started to tremble and she stepped back again, her fists balling.

'You better control your _bitches _Snape or I will!' Lily barked, her eyes narrowing and her hair cackling with electricity. James was suddenly scared of her; he never wanted to get Lily mad.

'What, are you going to kill—?'

James didn't know how hard he wanted to punch Avery, but he knew he needed to shut the guy up; he was clearly upsetting Lily. It worked. Avery fell to the ground, groaning and clutching his bleeding nose. After that, it was wild fists and kicks. Five against James, well four because Snape wasn't fighting ... actually, make that three because Avery was still groaning on the ground.

Then of course, Sirius heard the ruckus and leapt in, defending James like his life depended on it. Someone was pulling his hair, but he didn't even really care, because Mulciber's nose started to bleed hard. Blinking past the stars flickering before his eyes, Sirius fell to his knees, groaning. Someone had delivered a really powerful blow to his stomach. He started gasping.

He tasted blood in his mouth but ignored it. He needed to get Mulciber, who was fast escaping from the scene of the crime with the others, laughing hard and loud. They all ran off before anyone else could interfere, until it was just Avery moaning on the floor and Sirius beside him, clutching his stomach and muttering about 'my balls—' and 'gonna kill 'em!'

James turned around to face Lily. She was still in a state of shock; having just witnessed an enormous brawl which ended as quickly as it had started. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

'You guys shouldn't have done that.' She said sadly, tucking some of the tendrils that had fallen to cradle her face back behind her ear. 'You really should not have done that.'

'I think we deserve a thank you...' Sirius wheezed from where he was sitting on the floor, clutching his crown-jewels and moaning.

'Thanks.' Lily said after a long pause.

'Are you friends with that arsehole?' James asked, ignoring the inmates watching them.

'Ex-friends,' Lily frowned, before turning on her heel and hurrying out of the library, but not before they heard her hiss under her breath quietly. James watched after her, sighing. Then he massaged his knuckles. They hurt quite badly.

'Why did you jump in?' James asked angrily. 'You can't keep jumping in! You heard what Greyback said, a second fighting offence will lead to _one whole week_ in Isolation! And your parents will have to come in!'

Sirius was taken back. He expected James to thank him, or to comment on the aim of his punches, but he didn't expect James to _shout _at him. He grew angry too. 'You think I give a fuck if my parents come in?'

'Well you should!' the bespectacled boy hissed. 'You really should! For once Padfoot, for once could you think of other people instead of yourself? If you get caught for this I won't see you for a week!'

They never fought, never. Maybe it was unhealthy for their friendship, but it was just how they were. He got off the floor, running a hand through his hair. There was a hysterical note to James's voice, like he was scared. So because he was scared he was lashing out at Sirius? 'You better shut up James. No one's coming. So just shut up!'

It was like a storm had entered the room, and everything grew chilly and unpleasantly cold.

James bared his teeth. 'I'm sick of having to save your arse all the time—'

Sirius balled his fists, barely managing to contain his anger. Electricity was still raging through his body from the fight, and he could feel his heart beating fast. He closed his eyes. 'James, just shut up, before you say something or I say something we'll both regret.' His voice was calmer now; closing his eyes seemed to help. 'I won't do it again; I'll just leave you to get pummelled, even though I know you would never leave me ...'

James seemed to snap out of his mood. It left as quickly as it came. He sighed and shook his head. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, he wrapped his arms around Sirius, shaking his head.

'We can't keep doing this,' James said quietly, 'we've been here a week. We need to control whatever it is that's going on with us.'

Sirius shrugged, extracting himself from James's embrace and ignoring the hurt expression that flickered across his friend's handsome features. James's anger always burnt out easily and rather quickly, he could never stay mad for long but Sirius could hold grudges, especially when he was hurt and shocked.

'Let's just go to your room, I'm tired.' Sirius said quietly, leading the way. James shook his head, grimacing and sighing noisily. He was about to walk away when he noticed a ring on the ground. It was obviously very expensive and had engravings on the side. They were in a language James couldn't read. But he recognised the word _"amor" _which is Latin for love.

It must have come off Lily's finger during her fit of anger. James pocketed it before smiling softly to himself. Yes, he not has another reason to approach her. And maybe this time he'd be rewarded with a kiss.

_xo_

Remus was alone in the room. He'd come to a lot of conclusions sitting her, in his warm room, his fingers playing with the skin of his bare stomach and chest. The windows were open and were sending a soft breeze into the room; he could hear the sounds of the other inmates playing around outside.

Remus decided he really liked James and Sirius. They were a bit too pretentious and stuck up, but what did Remus expect when one of them had a model for a mother and another had an extremely successful father? They were born with silver spoons in their mouths. They didn't know any better. They didn't know what it was like to hurt ... what is was like to grow up with almost nothing. Not in the sense of money, because as Remus had said, he and his family had lived comfortably.

But rather, the bully and the tormenting, the name calling and the hitting – that was what Remus meant when he said growing up with almost nothing. He ran a hand through his hair and stretched the muscles in his arms and abdomen. Sirius and James were smart, they were. The only thing Remus would mark them down for was their friendship with Peter. He was a useless lump; something that they needed to get rid of.

But the plan was too shaky; they needed to talk through things and plan them properly. Tomorrow was a new day. Remus would start mapping out the place. Simple maps and intricate, detailed ones. But they needed underground maps too ... maybe Sirius could seduce them out of Caroline. There was a knock on the door, and one of the officers called—

'Make sure you're decent Lupin, I'm coming in,' before opening the door. Remus looked at the officer, recognising him as Lockhart, the guard all the girls fancied. Slowly, he took his vest from the floor and put it on. Lockhart's eyes flickered over the muscles in Remus's arms and torso almost in a scared manner. When the vest was on (Remus left his arms on display, revelling in the fright he saw in Lockhart's eyes) he turned to the handsome older man.

'Yeah?' he said rudely.

Lockhart and Remus, about a year ago, had gone through a very tough time. But that was a long story for another day. Anyway, the incident got Remus locked in Isolation for three weeks. His parents also had to come in. And this time, he wasn't allowed to refuse to see them. He was dragged into the room and made to sit and talk. But he hadn't talked. He didn't even listen; he just sat there, quiet as ever, staring stonily at the floor.

And when he was allowed to leave, he fled the visiting room, proceeding to get drunk, the drunkest he had ever been here in Azkaban.

'Remus,' Lockhart said in a soft voice.

'Just tell me what you need to tell me, or fuck off,' he said rudely, searching his body for his fags and realising he had none left. He swore loudly.

'I'm sorry about last year—'

'That's what you've disturbed me for? To tell me you're sorry? I've told you a million times Lockhart, I _don't _care what you have to say! So just go away!' He spat the last sentence viciously.

Lockhart stuttered for a moment and then shook his head, probably to clear it. 'No, that's not why I'm here. Your parents are on the phone, they want to ask you if it's alright to come and visit ...' he stopped talking, noticing the expression on Remus's face. It was one of hatred, disgust and pain.

Remus gnashed his teeth, then he proceeded to spit on the floor at Lockhart's feet. 'You tell them _that's _what I think of them. You tell them exactly how much I hate them! Okay? Understand?'

'But Lupin! This is the thirteenth time you've turned down a phone call or visit from your parents, you haven't seen or spoken to them in almost a year.'

'It would have been longer if you hadn't gotten me in so much trouble. Just ... just go away Lockhart. I'm tired. I don't want to speak to them; I don't want to see them. I just want you to go.' He said it in a very sad and tired way, almost as if it hurt even him to say those words. When the handsome blond officer made no sign of leaving, Remus growled ominously. 'I said _go away _now!'

The blond officer shivered and then hurried out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Remus exhaled shakily. He didn't want to delve into the tale of why he hated his parents or how horrible they were in dumping him here, all alone without them at such a young age.

But he did want to delve into an escape, a planned escape, now more than ever he needed it. He couldn't stay here, with the constant shadow of what he had done and what had happened to him hanging over his head. He needed a clean, fresh break from all of this. And what better way to do it than break out?

Oh, Remus was still sceptical and worried. But if anything, that now fuelled him on in making sure he got out of here. Bye the Lord's name, he needed to get out!

_xo_

'Sit down Lily; it's lovely to see you, as always.' Madam Pomfrey said in a soothing, kind voice. Her light brown hair had darker streaks, and her rosy skin was flushed from the heat. She was a very kind woman, and not old at all, maybe in her mid thirties?

Lily liked Poppy. She made Lily feel so normal, she made Lily feel at home. She hugged Lily and then hurried out of the room, saying 'I'm just going to make us some tea!' When she emerged minutes later, she had two streaming hot mugs of tea and a packet of biscuits under her armpit. She set it down on the coffee table and laughed in delight when Lily ripped open the packet and tucked in.

'Thanks Poppy, you got me my favourite ones!' she grinned when she said this, popping another Digestive biscuit into her mouth and chewing noisily. Poppy laughed and shook her head, sipping her tea and reaching over to get a pen and an enormous file labelled EVANS, Lily.

She flicked it open on the date from two days ago and nodded to herself. 'Okay Lily, d'you remember what we talked about last session?' she said in a very kind voice.

Lily's eyes narrowed but nodded after a while. 'Yes. You were trying to make me repeat the lies you and my family have made up ...'

Poppy sighed, shakily her head. Four months, Lily Evans had been in this facility, and nothing was going through to her. She was one of the "infants" as the staff liked to call them. The ones in denial, the innocent ones, the ones who didn't believe a word they were told, a word of the _truth._

'They're not lies Lily. It's the truth. I've shown you the pictures of your neck after the incident from the hospital, I've let you listen to tape recordings of the doctors and your family talking ... it's not a lie Lily. None of it is a lie. You're _confused_—'

Lily threw down her mug of tea and jumped up. She always got like this when she was told the truth. But after the third time, Poppy had gotten Lily her very own plastic mug that couldn't break. She had gotten very tired of always getting new mugs because Lily would destroy all the ones she had.

The girl knew how to throw a hissy fit; she would scream and rage and swear. She would refuse to believe a _word _Poppy or anyone else said. It was infuriating. At least other patients like Meadows and Lupin admitted to their problems. But not Lily. She was still in denial, even after four months, three sessions a week, nothing seemed to go through her head.

'Lily, we're going to play that little exercise, okay? Remember? The one where you repeat after me. Okay ... darling sit down ... _Lily _... oh for f– good, okay, repeat after me sweetie. "I am a brave girl." Come on Lily! We always do this ... good girl. Now, "I find it hard to understand some of the things I do." Yes, looks like you'll be getting a treat if you keep it up this way. Now, last thing ... do you think you can remember what comes next?' Even to Poppy's ears, her own voice sounded incredibly patronising and belittling.

Lily flushed red, her hair falling to cover her face; like a long red veil. She mumbled something.

'Sorry, I couldn't hear you past all that hair.' Poppy goaded gently.

The young girl smiled, tucking his behind her ear. But then she frowned again as she talked. 'I am ... I – I am here ... here ... because I tried – I tried to take my own life.' She finally managed to spit out, after many pauses and many pained expressions.

Poppy was proud. It usually took a little longer to get Lily to admit to all the things she had done. Yes, Lily Evans had tried to kill herself by hanging her body from outside her bedroom. Her cousin had found her and managed to cut the rope barely a second after Lily jumped, with the noose wrapped round her throat. She fell from her window into the garden, breaking her leg, her arm and a rib from the fall.

But she survived. A miracle itself.

'Good girl, good good girl. I'm so proud of you. D'you think you can repeat that for me a few more times? I promise there are more Digestive biscuits in the kitchen ...'

Lily looked up with her fierce, emerald eyes. She narrowed them, sneering at Poppy. 'I am here because I tried to take my own life. I am here ...'

And like a prayer, she repeated it over and over until Madam Poppy Pomfrey asked her to stop.

Lily sighed. She wanted to get out, if there was a genie and she could have three wishes, it would be to kill everyone who had ever thought they could lock her up here in this mental home. One of her wishes would be to _leave..._

But she couldn't leave. She needed to. But she couldn't.

* * *

**A/N:** Tell me what you thought of Lily, any criticism on her and James is welcome, I want to know what I can do to improve. Enjoy your day, and of course if you're from London like me, enjoy the rare sight of sunshine!

Loads of love, thanks for reading!


	7. Pain in More Ways than One

**A/N:** Sorry for the ridiculously long wait. Enjoy!

Ignore the tons of mistakes, I'll fix them soon hopefully.

* * *

_xoxo_

_7. Pain in More Ways than One_

Group therapy was once a week; it was horrible. Sirius had to sit for one hour with ten other people and Madam Pomfrey. She was the crazy therapist that Remus always went on about – the one that hit him up with pills and tried to convince him to speak to his parents.

But Remus would never speak to his parents again though. He despised them. Sirius could tell from the way Remus spoke about them. Lessons were starting tomorrow. He was nervous. On top of that, he was in a group therapy session with two boys he despised, his friend Remus, Alice his fuck-buddy, Lily and a few other people Sirius did not know.

There were in chairs, forming a wide circle, with Pomfrey directly opposite Sirius and Remus. 'Okay,' she said softly, looking through her register and then nodding to herself. 'Hello everyone, I hope you've all had a brilliant week. The weather's been fantastic, hasn't it? Now, I thought we could start with a warm up? That sound okay? Good. We'll go clockwise from Severus; I'd like everyone to say their names and three facts about themselves ... go on.' She had a very kind smile on her face and was urging Snape on. Well wasn't she just jumping into the activities, she was an eager one.

Snape grimaced and looked forward, his eyes connecting with Lily's before looking away hurriedly. 'I'm ... I'm Severus Snape.' He paused and thought hard, then he looked at Pomfrey and his eyes were pleading with her. 'Can't we just do what we did last time?'

She shook her head, bright eyes growing hard. 'Go on Sev.'

His looked at Sirius and glared. 'My name is Severus Snape. I'm an only child. My mother works in a nursery. My favourite subject is science.' His voice was very monotonous. Next to him was Mulciber, looking as handsome as ever.

He smiled and spoke aloud in a confident voice. 'I'm Jackson Mulciber. I like running, it's fun and it's good exercise anyway ... erm ... I have a really big dick—' everyone started laughing, and Sirius cracked a smile despite himself. Mulciber wasn't bad, Sirius thought. He was actually alright. Poppy Pomfrey was blushing and she slapped his arm, telling him to reconsider having that as a fact. 'It's true.' Mulciber replied, shrugging. 'And finally, I'm here because my parents hate me. They found out I'd been banging my private tutor instead of _studying._'

Sirius raised an eyebrow. Really? Even _Sirius _hadn't acted out any physical activities with any tutors or teachers. Though he had really wanted to bang one of them ... she had been _sexy _as hell. When he tried to cop a feel she threatened to get the police involved. Sirius later found out she was a _lesbian._

Poppy was shaking her head, turning to Tyler Macnair. He turned to face her and smiled. 'Hi, I'm Tyler Macnair. I like playing tennis. I have five dogs ... I _had _five dogs ... and my mum is a whore.' Sirius noticed that a popular theme was how much the inmates hated their families.

After the very shy girl whom Sirius learned was called Eva Lovegood, he turned to Lily. She was incredibly pretty; he had to agree with James. Lily sat still for a moment, sending glares to Pomfrey. She mouthed something and Poppy smiled encouragingly.

'I'm Lily Evans. I have a ... older sister ... my favourite colour is green, ironically ... I don't like cats much ...' it seemed harder for her than for anyone else. She was trembling when she finished. Alice took her hand and spoke aloud.

'I'm Alice Mayfield. I have three siblings. My dad cheated on my mum with a nineteen year old woman so my good old mum tried to kill my dad ...' she smiled a little deliriously and then winked at Lily who started laughing. They found that funny?!

Sirius bit his lip; he was starting to realise how messed up some of these people really were. He shrugged to himself. 'And finally,' Alice said, turning to Sirius and winking at him, 'I think Sirius is really, really, _really _hot.'

He turned a little pink, his miniature ponytail bobbing a little and loosening. They were only fuck buddies really, now he thought about it. He had even forgotten how they met. But he didn't forget the quick intimate meeting in the store cupboard, now he thought about it.

The meeting had been nice ... she could sure do things with her hands and mouth Sirius was sure no other girl could do.

He sent her a kiss from across the room, ignoring everyone else. Alice was something precious compared to the other girls Sirius had considered sleeping with. But she was mental. She hadn't even told him what she was here for, but he knew whatever it was, it had to be something seriously messed up.

Then it was Remus's turn. He sat there, silent and glaring at Poppy Pomfrey. She smiled encouragingly at him but Remus ignored her. 'Remus?' Pomfrey said in a distraught, exasperated voice. After another minute of waiting and her expression grew more and more annoyed. Sirius threw an arm around his new friend's shoulder and turned to face everyone, deciding it was time to save Remus from the collective glares he was getting. 'My name is Sirius Black. I'm here because I ... I had an incident ...'

'Go on Sirius,' Pomfrey urged, probably under the illusion that if Remus saw his friend doing it he might do it, 'tell them what happened. You'll never accept it if you can't say it aloud.'

Sirius realised what Remus meant. She was very annoying. He didn't want to sound weak. Saying you OD'd on cocaine made you sound weak, but when the therapist sent him a glare after a few seconds, he sighed. 'I overdosed on cocaine ...' he didn't miss the collective gasps; especially Alice's since she herself didn't know what Sirius was in for.

'Go on darling, two more facts...' Poppy urged.

'I have two brothers, well, one of them is here. He's James Potter ... he's _like _my brother.' Sirius smiled to himself. He loved James. 'He's the best brother in the world ... he and my little brother saved my life, got me to the hospital before I could die. I think Alice is super hot too,' then he winked at her and bit on his bottom lip in a longing way.

She understood the look: the "we're-going-to-meet-up-later" look. They grinned at each other. Poppy Pomfrey was obviously not satisfied with most of the facts. 'We're going to have to practise this in the future. I'm very disappointed with what you've all said about yourselves. Leo, it's your—'

The door burst open. They were in one of the smaller classrooms. It had the desks pushed back. A few chairs thrown around, an enormous white board on one wall and a mirror on the other. It was a modern classroom but it still felt like a cage to Sirius.

Lockhart and Greyback were together, standing at the door. They seemed to be the best of friends. Well, Greyback seemed to be the one in control and Lockhart was obviously just a pawn; he was scared of Greyback, you could tell by the way he looked at the bigger man.

Both officers stared at Remus first, one of them glaring and the other one with a sympathetic expression. Remus huffed and moved in his chair so he didn't have to look at them. Sirius's arm around Remus tightened.

'—Black please, Poppy,' Greyback said to Pomfrey. Sirius didn't hear him. 'Oi, Black, get your stuff.'

'What for?' Sirius threw back, glaring at the enormous man.

Greyback smiled maliciously. 'You're parents are here.'

'What?' Sirius asked flatly, his face wavering. He did not want to see his parents. The room filled with whispering. Even Poppy looked up. 'My parents?' he asked slowly.

'Are you deaf?' Greyback snapped. 'Yes, you're parents are here?'

'What the _fuck _are they here for?' he almost shrieked, getting up and balling his fists. 'I don't wanna see them, tell them to fuck off. I'm not coming!' He sounded a bit like a toddler, throwing a tantrum. Sirius considered stamping his feet. But he didn't want to come across as the posh, rich spoilt bastard many thought he was. 'I'm not coming.'

Greyback had been one of the officers out when James and Sirius arrived. He knew one of Black's weaknesses. He smiled tightly. 'You're brother is here too, cute little thing he is.'

Sirius's head snapped up. Lockhart stepped forward, a smile that Sirius supposed was meant to be reassuring, and nodded. 'Yes, he's here. Asking for you in fact.'

Sirius grabbed his shirt off the back of his chair (summer was blazingly hot) and clapped Remus on the back. 'Tell James where I am, please. I don't want him worrying.' He said after he shrugged the shirt on.

Poppy got up. 'Will he be returning Fenrir?' she asked. 'He needs to take his medication ...'

Greyback shrugged. 'No, he's not even staying in the asylum. He's going home for a few days.'

'You've _got _to be kidding me!' Sirius cried. 'What about James? Is he coming, he better be coming you fucking—' he was grabbed roughly by his collar and dragged to the door. Sirius started threatening Greyback and called him quite a few names. The door slammed behind them but Lockhart remained.

'Sorry about this whole mess Poppy. His mother's brother has just died. Funeral is tomorrow and the will-reading is the day after that. Maybe you could give me his medication now and I could make sure he takes it?' Lockhart suggested, smiling kindly.

Poppy nodded. She started fuddling in her bag and pulled out a pouch filled with pills. She searched around until she found one labelled clearly BLACK, Sirius. 'Make sure he takes two of these each day he's gone. Give it to his parents actually. I don't trust him with it. The boy's a bit crazy you see, might end up using these for recreational purposes.'

That was Poppy's solution to everything, Remus thought. Drug the patient up until they're submissive little fucks and everything will be good again. She was dumber than she looked. Lockhart took the pills and put them inside a small bag she gave him.

'Okay ...' then Lockhart's eyes met Remus's. He sighed and turned away, opening the door. They could hear Sirius shouting at Greyback who bellowed just as angrily back. Then the door shut. Remus sighed.

Sirius seemed furious, more than furious. And his Uncle, the only one he liked, (_Alfie was it?_) was now dead. He wouldn't take that well. He wouldn't take that well at all.

_xo _

Sirius threw Greyback's restraining arm off of him when he saw Regulus. He paused, staring at his small brother. It had only been a few weeks but Sirius felt like he could _cry. _He felt complete. Sirius hadn't realised just how much he missed his little brother until now. The protectiveness washed over him, attacking his body and filling Sirius with a warm, tingly sensation.

Regulus slowly turned around and then his face split into a smile when he saw Sirius; he looked delighted, more than delighted in fact.

'Sirius!' he cried, running to his big brother. Sirius fell down to his knees and was hit with the smaller body of his brother. They hugged each other tightly, ignoring everything going on around them.

'Reg ... you've gone so big ... I've missed you ...' Sirius gasped, his eyes watering. He started grinning like a maniac. 'I've missed you so much, _so _much.'

Regulus's arms tightened around Sirius's neck and he started giggling. 'I've missed you too. I love you.'

'Love you too,' Sirius laughed, 'gimme a kiss.' He pouted and moved his brother away from him, winking. Regulus laughed and kissed him briefly on the mouth. They hugged again. Sirius inhaled his scent. He smelt like home. He felt like he could burst with happiness; _Regulus was here!_ He kissed the six year old's hair and cheek and nose.

'Sirius?' an older voice said. He looked up. His father was on the phone, obviously; Sirius never saw one without the other. He stood in the corner of the room, back to the rest of them. But standing only a few metres away with an amused Greyback and a confused Lockhart was Walburga Black.

Sirius looked at her as though she were death. The expression that flickered across his face was one of hatred, disgust and anger. He looked her up and down but then there was a small hand on his cheek. 'Don't look at mummy like that.' Regulus scolded, his deep eyes boring into Sirius's. 'She came to save you.'

Bamboozled, the older brother stared down at the smaller one. 'I can look at her however I like Regulus. I came to see _you_ ... not her or him. I came to see _you _because I love you.'

'Where's Jamie?' the small boy asked sadly. 'I want to see Jamie!'

Sirius sighed. 'They're not letting him come, those fuckers over there—'

'Black!' snapped Greyback, 'you better watch your tongue, otherwise as soon as you come back you'll be going into Iso. Now get over here. I need to weigh you, take some blood and give you your medication.'

'Are you sick Sirius? Why're they giving you medi-ca-ton? Are you sick?' Regulus asked, his lower lip trembling. He put a clammy hand to his older brother's forehead and then kissed his head.

'Ask _mummy _... she's the one who gives me the medication.' Before Sirius left the room, he heard Regulus asking Walburga what Sirius had medication for.

'It's there to fix him.' She replied.

'He don't need to be fixed. He's perfect.'

_xo_

James, it seemed, would indeed be going to the funeral. Just not with Sirius. He was picked up by his parents. It was Slughorn who stopped by his room, knocking (the old man had learnt never to walk into one of the inmate's rooms without knocking) and telling James to get some shoes on. Remus wasn't there so James couldn't say goodbye.

He was taken to the outer waiting room where his parents stood stoically. But then Mrs Potter saw her son and she split into a wide smile, opening her arms. 'Jimmy!' she cried, hurrying forward. But then she saw her son flinch and stopped mid stride.

'James?' Charlus asked curiously, stopping beside his wife in front of his son. 'Give us a hug, son,' he said in that deep, comforting voice of his. James couldn't hold it back. His eyes watered and he threw his arms around both his parents.

He wasn't like Sirius. He couldn't stay mad at his family or hold grudges. They held James tightly and Slughorn smiled at them, as though their happiness was his happiness. Shirt lifter.

'Oh James,' crooned Dorea, smoothing his hair. 'I'm so sorry son, I'm so sorry.' She sounded like she was crying and when James looked up he saw that she was indeed crying. Her body was shaking with tears and her face was a red mess. 'He's dead.'

'Who?' he asked, his voice monotonous, his eyes wide and frightened. James for a frightened moment, thought that maybe his mother was talking about Regulus. _Please let it not be him, please let it be someone else she's talking about._

'Alphard.'

James's body was frozen.

He was given some clothes brought in by his parents to wear on the way home. He moved stoically and rigidly. James pulled on the jeans and the shirt. He took the glasses his mother gave him and put them on a wet face. James barely noticed he was crying.

He was weighed and measured; some of his blood was taken and during the whole tedious process, James was thinking hard about how Sirius was feeling, how he would deal with the news that his favourite uncle was dead.

'Mother, how did he die?' James asked quietly when he got off the scales.

Dorea frowned. 'You know he's been sick a while ... ever since he came back from South America ... his organs gave out.' She sounded incredibly sad when she said this, shaking her head and frowning.

'Oh.'

Soon, it was time to leave Azkaban Asylum. James stood behind his mother and father whilst Filch opened the door to the other side of the courtyard, where enormous tall electric gates stood, blocking the view of what was beyond. James ignored the people watching, the inmates hissing under their breaths and pointing.

Sparing a final glance at the main office, James followed Filch towards the enormous electric fence. He had an idea and scoured the group of people behind the cage-like gates of the courtyard, looking for one vivid head of bright red hair.

James's eyes met Lily's and he sent her a wink, half smiling before fixing his gaze back onto Filch who was now pressing a long code into a small box on the left. Then he pressed his finger onto a miniature pad and the gates started to open, groaning and moaning.

James slipped through the gap, his parents coming straight after them. Filch stopped them. He pulled out a small kit, giving a tiny control to James's parents. 'This is a tracker,' he said in his thick cockney accent. 'Pull up the leg of ya' trousers.' He barked. It was bright red and square, with a latch on either side to wrap around James's ankle. He did as he was told.

'If you take this off, we'll know back here in the asylum, the division of the police force working with Azkaban in London will know and your parents will know. It'll also make a loud beeping noise that won't stop.' Filch sneered at James. He wrapped it around James's ankle and took out a screwdriver, tightening the bonds until it was so tight James thought his foot might fall off.

'This has a tracking device inside, so we know exactly where he is.' Filch said to James's parents. After a few more minutes, he seemed satisfied and stood up. 'Now, you know the rules Warden Dumbledore set. He gave you the list, right? Good. Everything is set then.'

'Thank you sir,' Dorea said, smiling and nodding at him. Charlus shook his hand before taking his wife's hand. James however glared at Filch, winking his infuriating wink and mouthing 'goodbye, bitch.'

It was a walk of silence, for about ten minutes. Then, they were in the parking lot. Waiting for them outside it was a cab, black and glistening. 'We're getting the train, aren't we?' James groaned. 'Can't we take a plane to London or something?'

'It's your fault Dorea,' Charlus laughed, opening the cab door for his wife, 'you've raised a spoilt rich brat. Now, to the train station!'

_xo_

Sirius never cried in front of his parents, apart from the day he was told he was going to Azkaban and the day he actually went there. He tried hard not to cry. But he couldn't control it!

'I don't believe you,' hissed Sirius. 'He's not dead!'

'He is, Siri!' Regulus called from where he was standing at the doorway.

Sirius shook his head, clutching his hair and moaning. 'No, no he can't be. You're lying. YOU'RE ALL LYING!'

Orion, who hadn't spoken to his son the whole day, snapped. He jumped up and seized Sirius by his lapels. 'He's dead Sirius! I don't care if you hate your mother and me, but understand that your stupid uncle is dead—'

Sirius didn't know where the bravery came from, or rather; a better word would be _stupidity_. But he punched his father hard in the face. His mother screamed. Regulus screamed. Sirius stared at his fist, a few drops of blood coating it.

In surprise, his father released him, grasping his face. Then the old man started laughing. 'You learnt how to throw a punch.'

Slowly, Sirius started backing away, racking his brain for some way to get out of the current situation he was in. 'ORION, DON'T!'

It was war. His father grabbed him by his long hair and threw him onto the floor, Sirius started kicking and punching every inch of the old man. He was glad to notice that they were almost evenly matched. Orion was a little taller with a bigger frame but Sirius had raw and natural strength, enough to detach his father's strong hold on his head and make the man stumble.

'... UNGRATEFUL BASTARD ...' Orion screamed, continuing to slap and hit Sirius as hard as he could. Sirius fell to the floor, white exploding before his eyes. His nose was bleeding heavily, his lip was split and he couldn't open one of his eyes.

'ORION!' Walburga screamed, running to cover Sirius's body with her own, because she knew that if Orion didn't stop now, he would carry on until Sirius was dead or he himself grew tired. And she didn't want her husband to ruin her son's beautiful, modelling-material face.

The tall and frightening man froze for a second, fist still clenched and in the air. There was silence for a full minute before it was pierced by the sounds of Regulus at the door, screaming and crying. 'Go upstairs,' barked Orion and Regulus didn't even pause, running as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Then he turned his mutinous glare to Sirius, still on the floor but now sitting up, pressing his sleeve to his nose and lip. The bleeding didn't stop though. 'Mub,' Sirius mumbled, 'I dink he bwoke my nose.'

'Shut up you pansy,' Orion barked, 'I didn't punch it hard enough to break it.' He spat. Then he turned around abruptly and hurried away, avoiding the eyes of his wife. She'd be furious, she would. Sirius had done modelling when he was younger. He had a real future in it, Walburga hoped. But if his face was permanently ruined...

'Come on; let me get you cleaned up.' She said in the softest tone she could muster. Leading him by the arm through the caverns and corridors of the House of Black, Walburga appeared in one of the kitchens. Karen Reacher, or _Kreacher _as Sirius liked to call her, hurried forward.

'Madam?' she asked Walburga, turning to take Sirius's face in her hands, the kindest she had ever been to him.

'Just get him cleaned up please.' Walburga said sadly. She took a seat at the glass breakfast table and pulled out a chair for Sirius. Her son looked furious as he pulled off his Ralph Lauren top, throwing the bloodied clothing onto the floor.

She listened to her son's soft crying. The tears were probably more for Alphard than for the fight he had just gotten in with his father. Sirius grabbed the remote from the glass surface and flicked it, a TV popping out from the cupboard in front of them. He switched it to the news and they sat in silence as they waited for Kreacher to get everything she needed to mend him.

'I hope he hasn't broken your lovely nose,' Walburga said, running her hands through her son's soft hair. Sirius turned his ominous, furious glare upon her. He looked her up and down once, then turned back to face the TV. Walburga waited patiently, watching as Kreacher fell to her knees before Sirius, wrapping his bloody and bruised hands in bandages, washing the blood off his face, putting plasters on his cuts, giving him ice to lessen the swelling on his eye.

'Thanks Karen,' Walburga said, smiling tightly. Kreacher immediately hurried off; she understood that smile, it was a smile that meant _get the hell out of here! _

'Is he really dead?' Sirius breathed, turning his pale face to his mother.

Walburga nodded sadly and slowly. 'Got you a new suit for tomorrow's funeral. It's Versace—'

'What if I don't want to go and say bye? What if I don't want to say goodbye to him for the last time?'

Doing something that she hadn't done in quite a while, Walburga leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her son, drawing him in for a long, tight hug, more for her own benefit than for his. 'You need to say goodbye. How would he feel if he knows his favourite person in this _whole _family never came and said goodbye? He'd be heartbroken Sirius. Be brave. Be brave and say bye to him.'

'Besides,' Walburga continued, 'James is on his way home now. They left a few hours after us. We've missed dinner but I'm sure Karen can cook us up an eight o'clock supper.'

Sirius looked away from his mother, ashamed that he was still crying. He ducked his head and wiped his tears, but his whole face hurt so badly. He just wanted to sleep. His eyes drooped a little and Walburga understood.

'I'll wake you up when dinner's made. Go to your room.'

Sirius didn't remember how he ended up making his way through his enormous home to his bedroom, but he fell onto the cold, soft covers of the bed and cuddled up in the sheets. Then he remembered that a pack of Marlboro was under his pillow. He pulled his pillow up and sure enough two cigarettes were inside the packet that lay there, and a lighter.

Sirius sucked in the smoke hungrily after he lit the fag. He remembered the first time he smoked; he and James had actually been caught by Alphard. They were eleven and eager to try it, they saw all the adults doing it. Smoking wasn't nearly as fun as people made it out to be.

But now Sirius was addicted. Ever since Azkaban he'd been restricted to maybe two or three a day, better than the nine a day he had been used to. Sirius looked around his room. It looked the same, except maybe a little childish. Now Sirius thought about it, he felt older and wiser. His eyes flickered over the chest of drawers and he jumped up, his head spinning and a cry of pain escaping his mouth.

It was all too much. Alphard's death, the wounds on his face...

Sirius moved the chest and behind it were a few bottles of vodka and whiskey. Sirius grabbed two bottles and moved the drawers back in place before he cuddled into his large oak four poster bed again. He pulled the lid off and started gulping down the whiskey, stopping once or twice because the burn ripped painfully through his throat, restricting his breathing.

Sirius gagged for the fourth time, his head falling back in the pillows and a hysterical laugh leaving his mouth. He frowned once more, shaking his head. 'This isn't normal,' he said. Then he looked down at the tracker Greyback fastened around his ankle just before he left. It was so tight Sirius was sure his foot might fall off.

There was a knock on the door and a small face peeped in. Looking up sluggishly, Sirius attempted to hide the bottle of whiskey but decided against it a moment later, instead pouring some of the golden mixture down his throat and licking his lips.

'Sirius?' Regulus whispered, tears on his face and a trembling hand covering his mouth. 'You drunk?'

'Not yet.' Sirius slurred. He gulped another painful sip of whiskey and made a pained face before he patted the space beside him. 'Come 'ere,' he managed to say. Regulus shook his head, crying softly.

'You're drunk!' he cried.

'Come on babe, just get over here, I won't do nothin'. I promise.' Sirius said quietly.

Regulus climbed into the bed with him and cuddled up next to his older brother. 'Don't worry Sirius, you're still beautiful.' He said. 'Even though you've got a black eye and lots of cuts.'

'Thank you,' Sirius said, kissing the top of his brother's head. 'It's your graduation to the next school year in a few weeks, are you excited?'

Regulus was still frowning but he nodded. Then suddenly, he shook his head. 'No. You won't be here for it.' The small boy said sadly.

'I will be! I'll be right here—' he touched Regulus's chest and smiled deliriously. 'Want some?' he said, offering his little brother some of the whiskey. He laughed when Regulus started spitting and retching, moving away from Sirius and wiping his mouth.

'That tastes like shit!' Regulus cried, sticking his tongue out and wiping it. 'Why d'you drink it?' he asked.

'Makes me forget about how much I hate father, how much my face hurts, and the possibility of me becoming ugly.' To the Blacks, beauty was everything.

'Uncle Al died.' Regulus said sadly.

'It also makes me forget about him. I love him so much.' Sirius wiped his eyes. 'And now he's gone? Who is there left in this family for me to hide out with.'

'There's James. We're going to go and see him tomorrow morning.' He said.

'Oh yeah, James! Reg, bring me the house phone.' Sirius slurred, liquid dribbling onto his bare chest. Regulus was scared for a moment, ever since that night Sirius almost died. He stood up and hurried out of the room, returning only a minute later, panting. 'Thanks Reggie.'

Sirius dialled the number he knew almost as well as his own. One of the maids picked up.

_'Can I speak to Jim, Francis?'_ Sirius asked kindly.

_'Yes, one second dear,'_ she said kindly in an aged voice. A few minutes of impatient waiting and James's panting filled the speaker.

_'Seers,'_ he said, and Sirius could imagine his friend grinning.

_'You heard then? About Uncle Al?'_ Sirius's voice was sombre and very slurred, barely even coherent.

_'Yes I ... are you drunk Sirius?!'_ James cried before laughing.

_'Yeah. You missed it. I gave Regulus a bit and he almost vomited everywhere.'_ Sirius started laughing into the speaker, and then he groaned. _'You can't come over, can you?'_

_'Nah mate. Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow though ... for the funeral. And the will-reading the day after. Can you believe it? Alphard left _me _something!' _James sounded astounded.

Sirius took another gulp of the whiskey, hissing into the speaker. _'This whiskey we got a few months ago James really is strong. And of course Al would leave you something! He always said you were as good as his nephew!' _

_'What do we do Sirius? We can't ...' _James paused, and Sirius could hear him going up the stairs. _'My god, mum and dad are watching me like hawks. Probably scared I'll commit suicide or something. Okay, I'm safe.'_

Sirius started laughing. _'Now, what d'you mean "what do we do Sirius?" Have you got a plan or something?'_

James scoffed over the phone. _'I mean what are we going to do about the whole escape from the nine months imprisonment we're sentenced to in Azkaban? Alphard's gone. Our only contact.'_

_'Not our only contact.' _Sirius said, smiling tightly at his curious brother, sitting on the edge of his bed. _'We still have Kingsley. We still have Emmeline. We still have quite a few people.'_

_'What do you want us to do though? Call them?'_

Sirius's head was drumming. _'I'm too drunk to think. My family are coming 'round yours tomorrow. We'll talk then. In the meantime, I prepare to get as drunk as possible. So drunk, I feel the effects tomorrow—' _Sirius was cut off when he heard his mother hollering, saying dinner was ready.

James's laughter rung through Sirius's ears. _'Why do you plan on getting as drunk as possible?' _

_'Let's just say me and my dad got in a big fight. A really big fight...' _Sirius said softly into the phone, winking at his brother.

_'Sirius!' _James cried. _'Your face better be gorgeous tomorrow or else I'll beat you up. You can't keep doing stuff like this when you know your father will not hesitate to murder you.'_

_'Fuck off James. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you.'_

The phone beeped and the handsome boy smiled, falling back into the sheets and gulping some more whiskey down. He tossed the bottle when it was finished, sending another wink to his brother. Then he took the vodka and opened it, laughing drunkenly.

'This, my darling brother, is vodka. Wanna try some?' But when Walburga started calling some more for the two brothers, Sirius set the bottle down. 'Don't worry Reg; we'll have some after dinner. I'm starving.'

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked this. Please review. Cheers!


	8. A Memory

**A/N:** I have a confession to make; this chapter is a filler chapter, but that doesn't make it any less important for the characterisation and making the story a little more full! Please enjoy and give me nice feedback afterwards; if I didn't enjoy writing this story so much, I'd be put off by how little people feedback to me.

Enjoy, have a nice day/night. Cheers!_  
_

* * *

_xoxo_

_8. A Memory_

Sirius awoke with a splitting headache. He groaned, pressing the heels of his palms into his face and moaning out loud. He couldn't open his eyes, he didn't even want to. Even behind closed lids, he could see the blinding sunlight streaming through the window as the vintage curtains of his enormous bedroom were ripped open.

'_Kreacher!_' Sirius barked, grabbing the closest pillow and burying his face into it, groaning in pain and anger. After the terrible dream he'd had, he was not in the mood to put up with the most annoying maid ever.

'_Stop calling me that!_' she snapped back. Her hair was a little bushier, and she seemed very flustered. Karen Reacher was not the sort of woman to look a mess; maybe it was the fact that she worked for the Blacks and wasn't _allowed _to look like a common tramp. Albeit her current status with the Blacks, at heart she was generally a neat and tidy woman. There wouldn't even be a hair on her watermelon shaped head out of place or a crease on the cotton skirt she always wore.

But right now, she looked as though someone had dragged her by her long and pink ear through a hedge.

Then Sirius remembered _why _she would look so flustered. _Today was the day of Alphard's funeral._

He frowned, gnawing down on his lip and straightening up in his bed. Despite the ridiculous hangover, Sirius's conjured a memory of a time when his Uncle Alphard had made him feel like he belonged somewhere. When his Uncle Alphard made him feel _loved._

_x_

'Now, now Jamie!' Alphard called from where he was sitting under the giant sunshade umbrella. He had sunglasses on, and was holding hands with his current girlfriend. Alphard was twenty six and had just come back from Spain with Amelia. He hadn't seen his two nephews in almost three months. And so he decided it was time to take them out for a nice trip to the beach.

Sirius was six and was playing in the shallow end of the water with James, creating sandcastles and sand-people. Alphard sighed. He loved his nephews.

Alphard did a lot of travelling, part of the job his father had assigned him. It meant that he rarely ever got time to spend with the ones he truly loved. It also meant that he never really had time to attach himself to people. He was twenty six and unmarried. And he was bloody gorgeous to! Walburga wasn't the only good looking one. Alphard's bright green eyes and black silky hair were just a few of the features that enticed all the women.

Maybe when Alphard settled more into his job ... Amelia wouldn't mind marrying him.

'Sirius!' called Amelia, pressing a hasty kiss to Alphard's hand and then jumping up and hurrying towards the children. She was dressed in a bikini, revealing most of her pert arse to Alphard. He licked his lips and laughed. She swung her hips seductively, turning around and sending a wink to him.

Then she crouched down and held out her hands to pick up Sirius, who shook his head and pointed at the water. She whispered something to him and he grinned, laughing a young and sweet laugh. James stayed where he was sitting, revelling in the fact that they had the whole beach to themselves. It was an extension of one of Alphard's homes. And though he only owned a small portion of the beach, it seemed to them like the whole world and more.

Amelia's sweaty body glistened in the heat, and she tossed her dark hair behind her, turning to face Alphard with glowing dark golden skin. She was so tanned and Alphard had to admit, it turned him on a little. Sirius was playing with her breasts, laughing with her and poking each of them. Then he stuffed his hand down her bikini and Amelia squealed with joy.

'—gonna be a little player, aren't you?' she joked.

'Maybe,' Sirius mumbled, shaking his damp hair and flecking Amelia with droplets of water. She brushed his hair back with her other hand, and then sat down in the white pull out chair underneath the large sunshade.

Sirius looked up to see James talking to himself, playing a game. He didn't know whether to laugh or to feel a bit bad for leaving his friend all alone. When he turned, he saw Alphard smiling at him and looking down. 'How's my favourite little man?'

'I'm not little!' Sirius shrieked. 'I'm big an' brave!'

Alphard held his arms open, beckoning Sirius closer. The small boy took refuge inside the warm alcove of his uncle's arms. He looked up and grinned when Alphard dropped a kiss to his nose. 'Love you Alf,' he murmured, yawning a little and then patting his flat stomach. His little swimming trunks were bright blue, a shade that brought out the hints of sapphire in his eyes.

'I love you too, little man.' Alphard whispered, kissing Sirius's hair and then making a show of gagging. 'Your hair tastes like salt.'

Sirius grinned. 'I went into the water!' he cried, giggling when his uncle started tickling him.

'Didn't you do a modelling shoot on the beach the other day?' Alphard asked curiously. He personally didn't like the fact that Sirius had to do modelling at such a tender age, but the boy seemed to enjoy all the attention he received from "fans", family friends and his _mother._ If there was one thing Walburga complimented her son for, it was his modelling.

'Yes!' Sirius screeched. 'Mummy gave me big kiss when I was done.' He told his uncle. 'It was for per-foom. I think Hogo Boss—'

Alphard chuckled. 'You mean _Hugo _Boss, Sirius. Well, isn't that exciting? Why don't you tell us about it?' He said, winking at Amelia, who already had a cigarette in her hand and a lighter in the other. She lit the cigarette.

Sirius explained rather enthusiastically what he had done, about a boy who looked like him but was older, and then a man around Alphard's age who was pretending to be him. The older man grew very confused during his nephew's explanations, and simply laughed with his girlfriend, shaking his head and nodding along whenever Sirius paused. He took a few drags of the fag despite himself, having promised a few months ago to quit. In the end he threw caution to the wind and ended up smoking three cigarettes.

'Alf,' Sirius murmured, kissing the top of his uncle's chin and frowning. 'Why is you nice, but mum and dad aren't?' he asked.

Alphard froze, fag between his lips and smoke stirring deep inside him. He ignored the non-standard English his nephew spoke in, knowing that Sirius would soon grow out of it, and instead tried hard to think of how best to answer his nephew's question. Amelia was listening intently, playing with the small boy's feet and marvelling at how a small boy, not yet developed fully, could have such pretty little toes. He really was a model through and through.

'Hmm?' Sirius asked, looking up and pressing one of his hands to Alphard's bare muscular chest, directly where his heart was.

Alphard ducked his head, nuzzling the damp boy's neck and sighing. He thought of how best to respond without confusing or upsetting his favourite nephew, his only nephew really. 'It's ... it's because I'm the fun relative, Sirius. You know how every family has a boring relative, a moody one and a fun one. But because your mummy and daddy are parents, they're going to have to be strict and boring.'

The small handsome boy frowned. 'When I'm a daddy, I'm not going to be boring or stict—'

'_Strict,_' Alphard corrected, wrapping his muscular bare arms around his nephew tightly. He kissed the top of Sirius's head. 'I think you'll be a great daddy.' He said warmly.

Alphard's eyes fluttered closed, letting his nephew continue talking. With Amelia's hand in one of his own, and a boy he loved more than any other seated in his lap, Alphard was content, more than content; he could die right now and wouldn't mind a bit. The air was enticingly warm and the smell of salty air filled his nostrils. The sun was due to set soon; giving the skies a warm ember colour.

'Alf,' Sirius said, turning to face his uncle and smiling softly after a long pause, filled only with the noise of the waves crashing and James's laughter. 'I wish you was my daddy.'

The older man didn't know what to say. So instead, he satisfied himself with answering; 'It's "I wish you _were_", Sirius.'

_o_

Sirius was past the point of being annoyed when people dressed him. If there was one thing he was finding hard to adjust to in Azkaban, it was the fact that there weren't clothes waiting on a dresser for him, ironed washed and fragranced. He let Karen Reacher dress him, straightening his suit, spraying him with Gucci perfume and combing his hair back to reveal his alluring jaw.

His skin was unnaturally pale, almost snow-white. His lips stood out, scarlet like blood almost. And his eyes, watery and bruised from the fight he'd had with his father, spoke of the pain he was feeling. Sirius's face was powdered with foundation and concealer; he almost laughed. His mother shouldn't have let his father beat the fuck out of him if she was just going to cover his injuries with makeup.

He looked in the mirror, wincing when his tongue ran over his semi-healed lip. He sighed again. _Guess that's hard to cover up, _he thought bitterly. His eyes weren't as dark and bruised, but instead just a little more narrowed.

'Don't worry, you still look bloody gorgeous,' a voice said from Sirius's bedroom doorway. He smiled to himself, slapping Kreacher's hands off of him and nodding for her to leave. She gritted her teeth but left anyway, carrying Sirius's bloodied clothing with her; the clothes he had worn when his father decided to try and murder him. Stupid arsehole.

He slowly turned to appraise his friend, and watched when James winced a little. His friend was dressed in a crisp navy suit, hair barely managing to pass as "neat" and contacts instead of his usual glasses. James looked very handsome. He also looked very sad.

Rushing over and embracing his brother, Sirius, despite himself, started to _cry. _He never cried. But then again, he'd never lost someone so dear to him. His body trembled and his makeup smudged a little, but he didn't care. Alphard was gone. And he loved Alphard so much.

Who did he have now? Who could he turn to when his parents were too rough? When his father hit him too hard and his mother punished him too badly? Sirius was sure there was no one else like Alphard out there, and in the Black family, people like Alphard were a rare and precious thing. Like an eclipse. Something to be treasured.

Sirius wished he treasured Alphard more.

'H-h-he's g-gone,' he whispered into James's suit, 'I don't w-want h-him to b-be g-gone.'

'I know mate,' James replied, smoothing his friend's hair, 'I know.'

'What're we g-going to d-do?' he asked, moving away to look James in the eye. They stared at each other. 'We're ... we're going to break out, right? I don't want to go back there.'

'Of course. We can't stay there for nine months Sirius. It's only been two weeks and I already feel _mad._ We'll get out, I promise. I'm not letting them lock you up like this, you can't cope.'

'When we break out ... we're killing my father. We're taking millions of pounds and we're running away. Wherever you wanna go, Jamie.'

'I've always liked the thought of New Zealand.'

Sirius sniffed and smiled for a short moment, 'New Zealand it is then.'

'I promise, Sirius. At first, when we said it as a joke, I never really meant it. But being out here ... seeing how they're all getting on with their lives, missing Uncle Al's _death _... I can't Pads, I just can't.'

'But _how? _James, Azkaban's only been around for two decades. It's new, it's strong and it's not going to be easy to escape from. There are cameras and sensors and _guards _everywhere Jamie! We're ... we're hoping and wishing but we're not thinking—'

'That's cheap, coming from Mr Impulsive Bastard. Look, we don't have to ... we don't have to do anything you don't want to do Sirius, but I can't let you _rot _away down there. You'll go mad, a lot quicker than I will. You can't deal with this stuff, you _know _you can't. I'm just trying to protect my best mate.'

Sirius turned to look in the mirror, checking the makeup and whether it had smudged. 'My father doesn't deserve this you know. Getting all my injuries covered up. He deserves to see it. To see what he did to me. And everyone else deserves to see what he's done. How much of a monster he is.'

James tossed him something and he caught it, reading the label: _Face wipes._

'Ta,' he said over his shoulder, pulling out a few wipes and setting to work. He shouldn't be ashamed of his injuries, if anything, he should be proud of them. He wiped his face till not a trace of makeup was left.

'That should teach the bastard.' James said coolly, eyes hardening when he assessed the full extent of Sirius's injuries. He shook his head, frowning at his friend. 'One day he won't stop. You need to be careful Sirius. This isn't whacking you with a cane anymore. He could have really hurt you.'

'You think I'm joking? If I get the chance, I'll fucking kill 'em!'

There was a gentle knocking on the door, cutting Sirius off. He turned to see who it was and smiled when he saw his little brother, dressed in a suit almost identical to his own, with hair just like his. The smaller boy winced when he saw his elder brother's face.

Sirius crouched down so he was level with Regulus. He pressed his lips to his brother's tiny nose. 'How do I look?'

'Like a panda.'

He grinned at the young boy. 'Pandas are kind of cute.' He leaned into the caress offered to him and watched as Regulus bit his lip, frowning deeply. His tiny little fingers skimmed over Sirius's black eyes and split lip and swollen nose.

'Don't worry,' Regulus said. 'Don't worry.'

* * *

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Haha, have a great day guys, thanks xxxxx_  
_


	9. Threats

_xoxo_

_9. Threats_

Sirius clutched his younger brother's hand tight, trying ever so hard to stop the tears from escaping.

It was a beautiful day. The skies were cloudless and baby blue; the air warm and light with the scent of leaves and flowers. Around Sirius were maybe twenty other people; it was a small funeral, and thank goodness for that; Sirius didn't think he'd be able to deal with dozens of people turning up just to say they had been to a Black Funeral.

Already, Alphard's death was in all the magazines and newspapers. It seemed to Sirius that the whole world had known about Alphard's death before he did. What upset Sirius the most however, was the fact that for most of the people around him, this was a social gathering; a chance to gossip and talk, not a chance to grieve and cry.

James stood a little away from the pair of brothers, holding his mother's hand tight and whispering to himself under his breath. Alphard had been as much of an uncle for James as he had been for Regulus and Sirius. This was his loss too.

Sirius didn't want to speak for Alphard, and he wasn't going to. Tomorrow was their last day before they left for the asylum. And he wasn't going to waste the precious minutes he had here at home exchanging compliments and sorrows about how much he would miss his uncle and how his uncle had been great.

Alphard had been a young man; he hadn't wanted to die this way. And he most certainly would not have wanted to be buried this way; crocodile tears and dramatised sobs. Alphard had been a cheerful man. And Sirius thought he most certainly deserved a cheerful ending. He and James would give Alphard the send off he deserved; a happier send off. Because this was just unbearable.

An unbearable load of bollocks.

Sirius closed his eyes and wished for everything to end. For all of it to end. If only his parents loved him, if only he wasn't in Azkaban, if only he hadn't done coke with James that first time...

_xo_

'This shit is the best stuff you'll ever try,' Dung told them. Sirius and James were in his living room; the boy was a year older than them and the school's infamous "druggie". Sirius pulled off his Hollister jumper, tossing it to the side and crossing his legs. They were sitting on the floor, fireplace cackling with flames and the room pleasantly warm.

Dung's home completely contradicted the way he looked; he lived in a nice but average middle class home in the richer area of Brent. He had an older sister (who Sirius would sleep with any day) and a MILF mum.

Dung was speaking again as he took out a small packet from his pocket. Both younger boys immediately knew what the white powder was; cocaine.

'You'll be so high, it'll be fucking amazing. Of course, you need to pay me for it.' Dung said. Everyone also knew he was a crook, especially since recently, his parents stopped giving him money. So Dung quite literally ripped everyone off to make extra money. But what did he expect when he spent hundreds of pounds a week? If his parents were something, they were _not _pushovers.

Sirius rolled his eyes and didn't even bother asking how much, his eyes transfixed on the small packet of white powder. He pulled out his wallet and without even looking, threw Dung thirty five quid. James handed over forty. 'Shove that up your arse, Fletcher.'

Dung collected the money and pocketed it, before smiling softly. 'Thanks guys.' Then, almost like he was handling a newborn baby, he carefully opened the packet and took out a pinch of the powder. Dung looked like he was in his zone; he took out a debit card and used it to shape the powder into a straight line. He did this two more times.

'You do it like this,' Dung said, and then making sure they were watching, he leaned forward and in one swift and graceful movement, snorted the whole line; the longest line, the fattest line. He leaned back after a moment and started laughing, grinning at them. His nose was already scarlet.

'Go on,' Dung said, pointing at the bag.

'Hold your horses, Fletcher,' James said irritably, pulling off his jumper. Then he winked at Sirius and did exactly what Fletcher Mundungus did: leaned forward, snorted the line in one quick movement, and leaned back.

'Fuck that hurts,' James breathed, coughing into his hand. But then he started laughing. 'Shit man ... this feels wonderful. Really wonderful.'

Sirius watched James lean over and sniff the excess coke from his line. He started laughing again and then pointed at Sirius. 'Try it,' he mumbled. Digging into his pocket and looking for a hair band, Sirius tied his hair up into a tiny ponytail before he repeated exactly what the others did.

And it really wasn't what he expected.

He fell back and moaned. He didn't speak for minutes. His nose was burning. But his body felt weightless, like he was flying. The effects were instantaneous. And each minute that passed, it got better and better.

He had never felt so elated. But then, after a timeless while, the feeling started to fizzle out. To fade. And he felt empty now. Not empty-empty, he still felt fucking amazing. But he wanted, no, he _needed _more...

Without even asking, Sirius took the small packet from the space beside Dung's leg and opened it. He took a larger pinch this time and using the discarded debit card, shaped himself a long fat line. 'If only my mum could see me...' he laughed with them, before tucking a stray tendril behind his ear and snorting the line.

It felt like his nose was on _fire _this time. But he felt so good, it felt so _gooooood! _

And it went on like that, sniffing and falling back and making some half-arsed and totally blown comments. It felt so good. And when the bag was two thirds gone, Dung let them keep the rest. He pulled out a packet of Marlboros and tossed a fag each to Sirius and James.

With the warmth from the fireplace, and the smoke stirring in his chest, James lay down and moaned. He felt so good. And looking over to see Sirius in the exact same position, smoke coming out of his nose, he realised that this would definitely not be their only time.

Truth be told, James's prediction was right. School started and he was annoyed to see that Sirius wasn't there on the first day of the week. But walking five minutes late into registration there he was, red nose and small eyes. With the first two buttons of his school shirt undone and his tie loose, he was sent out of the room by an angry Professor Walden. When it came to public schools, or private schools, whatever they wanted to be called; image was everything. And a clearly high-as-fuck Sirius was not appropriate enough. His parents didn't pay tens of thousands of pounds a year for him to look like a tramp and act like one.

All eyes were on him as he came back in, looking quite different. His hair was combed now, tie done up, shirt buttoned up all the way and nose a little less red. But he was still kite-high. He winked lazily and a little spastically at James, before apologising to the class and the teacher as told to do.

Westminster School was after all, one of England's leading public schools. And also, naturally, one of the most expensive. He couldn't act dishonourable. Otherwise, the professor, who was watching Sirius as though he'd like nothing more than to hit him, would probably call his parents.

And when Sirius and James saw Dung in the courtyard later that day, they grinned at him and he grinned back.

_xo_

'What are you thinking about?' James asked Sirius softly. They were back at Sirius's home. He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep. And cry. Alphard was dead.

'Thinking about that first time we did coke, with Dung.' Sirius replied softly.

James laughed huskily, shaking his head. 'He sure did fuck us up, didn't he? Stupid arsehole.' His voice was suddenly dry and annoyed. 'If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here.'

'And maybe Alphard would be here.' Sirius said.

James paused. 'Maybe.'

Hurtling towards them and interrupting their conversation, was of course, little Regulus. He had lipstick marks on his cheeks and he was grinning madly. 'Bella and Cissy are there,' he said, pointing at the two beautiful women now engaged in a conversation with Sirius's parents.

Sirius wrapped his arms around his brother, subconsciously. They were in the enormous living room, sitting in the corner on the plush leather sofa. He lifted Regulus easily and set him on his lap. 'Don't talk to them,' Sirius whispered. 'They're bad girls.'

James shook his head. 'I'll never understand what happened between you and Bellatrix.' He said. 'Still not gonna tell me?'

Sirius grinned and shook his head, leaning over to kiss the side of his brother's face. 'Not for anything ... come on, let's go upstairs. This doesn't feel like a wake. More like a social gathering, where Alphard's money and the contents of his last will and testament are all the conversation is.'

It was hard sneaking up the stairs, especially when _Kreacher _was watching their every move if she wasn't running around tending to the guests. 'Go distract her Reg,' Sirius said to his brother, pushing him forward.

They didn't even wait to see what Regulus did, but instead launched themselves up the enormous staircase, up two floors and into the attic, Sirius's second bedroom. It had an enormous stereo, a bed and a crate with some bottles of alcohol, crackers and crayons.

Slamming the door, James locked it. 'If that fat bitch even thinks of coming in...'

Sirius laughed. 'Come on, we're supposed to be thinking about Alphard.'

James flopped on the bed, shaking his head. The bespectacled boy disagreed with the whole funeral; everything. Alphard wouldn't want people mourning, he would want people celebrating. 'We've got it all wrong. We should be thinking about Uncle Al, you're right about that. But not in a sad way, not sitting down and crying. He wouldn't want that. He'd want us to play music and dance and laugh. Because that's how he spent most of his life. Dancing and smiling.'

Sirius took off his Versace blazer and kicked off his loafers. Undoing some of the buttons on his shirt and loosening his tie, he walked over to the stereo. Within seconds, the walls were vibrating from the loud blasts of the speakers situated around the room. It was incredible.

James loosened up a bit too, ripping open a packet of crackers and popping open a bottle of Jack Daniels. They got drunk and it was fun. Until James remembered what he had bribed the Potter Manor maid in getting for him (she always did things for him).

He flashed Sirius the cannabis he had and watched his friend grin dopily. 'Happy birthday,' he shouted over the music.

'Not my birthday.'

'Then happy death-day, to Alphard and to all those other fuckers who died when he did.' James roared, tossing Sirius the tiny bag of weed and watching his friend search for the instruments to roll a joint with. The music was so loud they didn't hear Karen Reacher or Mrs Black thumping the door.

They just heard each other's laughter, and the music. Because in the end, the music was all that mattered. And Alphard, he'd be so proud of them.

Sirius threw his head back and laughed, dancing to the music and watching his best friend, his _brother _do some weird dance move. This was his home. He woke up in the weirdest position, spooning his best friend. Grunting, Sirius stretched a little more, his arms refusing to cooperate and detach themselves from around James's waist.

James, who was still sleeping, and now snuggling closer to him.

Looking down at where his now raging morning erection pressing into his bespectacled friend's arse, Sirius groaned when he was elbowed.

'Get you _dick _off my arse,' James seethed sleepily, turning over and straightening up to fix Sirius with a glare.

The long haired boy jumped back, holding his hands up in apology. 'I'm sorry. I did _not _mean to do that. It's ... it's inevitable, ya' know, fit bloke like you—'

And really, Sirius sort of expected the punch that came for him.

When they tried to un-crease their designer suits as much as they could, they unlocked the attic door and slipped out. 'Fuck sake.' James huffed.

Oh, but of course, sitting there was none other than Kreacher, waiting ever so _patiently _for them. She smiled a cold, taunting smile. 'Today is the reading of Alphard's last will and testament. You need to be ready in three hours.'

'Just shut up and make me breakfast,' Sirius huffed irritably. He barged past her and cleared a path for him and James to hurry down the grand staircase. The manor was of course in pristine condition; clean and tidy, with all the best paintings up and the most lavish ornaments set out. When both boys entered the kitchen, they expected it to be empty, but of course luck wasn't with them.

Regulus was there, as were the Potters, and Walburga and ... Orion.

Sirius mock-bowed, a custom his father had tried to get him into from a young age but one that just had not stuck. 'Good morning mother, father, uncle, aunt...' then he turned to face his baby brother and winked, 'Regulus.'

'Mum, dad,' James said, nodding to his parents and beaming at Sirius's. 'What a fine morning it is today. Splendid night last night, wouldn't you say Padfoot?'

Sirius nodded. 'Oh, but of course Prongs. Simply ... splendid.' He could have laughed when his father growled under his breath and gestured to the empty chair on his right.

'Sit down, Sirius.' His voice was hard and cold and definitely not joking. Nodding and sitting down, Sirius began to shovel pancakes onto his plate and drench them in golden syrup. Eating like a barbarian, Sirius ignored his father's fist resting on his thigh and continued to eat like he hadn't in days.

He hadn't eaten in days, well, one day. But the truth was, he'd never been so hungry. James was a little more orderly, instead sending winks to Regulus and making funny faces so the boy would laugh that delightfully golden peal of his.

'You're lucky you were playing music in the attic,' Walburga seethed after a long moment of silence. Her eyes were boring into James's, but he could hardly care. The beautiful woman barely intimidated him anymore. 'We could barely hear a thing. And those who did were told that you were playing Alphard's favourite songs for your own grief and sadness.'

But then Walburga leaned over and grabbed Sirius by his chin. She wiped the syrup from his lip and stared into his eyes. 'But if you _ever _embarrass your father and I in front of our friends like that again, Azkaban won't be the only place you'll go.'

Then she kissed Sirius on his bruised nose, humiliating him in turn, and sitting back down in her seat. Karen Reacher came back into the room. She had Sirius's medication in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. He took it and swallowed without even flinching. Then he resumed eating his pancakes.

'It'll be such a tedious affair,' Walburga commented, smiling radiantly at James's mother. 'Going to Alphard's will reading. But Alphard always knew, as soon as he signed up for his job, that his life balanced on a knife's edge. He's had a will written since his twenty eighth birthday.'

'And he's probably had it changed fifty times, knowing Alphard,' laughed Dorea. The rest of the breakfast passed in a similar manner, until Mr and Mrs Potter stood up and beckoned James to come with them. 'You'll see Sirius later,' Mrs Potter said softly, smiling at her son.

And with that, they were gone.

Now it was just the Blacks. The happy, cheerful, ecstatic Blacks. Sirius felt vice-like fingers enclose around his ear, and with a mouth still full of pancakes and syrup on his chin, he was forced to look up from his plate and at his mother.

'Mufm?' Sirius grunted, swallowing hard and clearing his throat. 'Mum?'

'For once Sirius, just once, can't you do as you're told? And behave how you know you should behave?' she seethed. 'Alphard is dead!'

'Like you care!' he roared back, but was silenced when his mother backhanded him. Sirius bit his tongue and tasted blood in his mouth. He was so tempted to hit her back. But his father was there. 'I'm injured enough mother, stop ruining my face even more.'

Sirius was sure his mother cared more about his looks than she did about _him. _

After all, he couldn't ever do modelling with a permanently disfigured face, now could he? She looked like she wanted to strike him again, but she didn't. She sat back down, but not before pressing a quick kiss to Regulus's head

'You're going back to Azkaban tomorrow. I want you, just for the next twenty four hours, to behave. Listen to me, follow what I say, and just enjoy your last few hours of freedom. Because mark my words, _son_,' she spat the word, 'this is the last time in a very long time you'll be out of that hell hole.'

Then she turned to her husband and said politely, 'Anything to add dear?'

Orion shook his head, smiling widely at her. 'No. Now get out of here and get dressed.'

'D&G.' Walburga said plainly. Then she held out her hand for Regulus to take and helped him out of his chair, before gently pushing him forward. 'Go upstairs darling, I'll be along in two minutes.'

Regulus bit his fingernails as he looked back and forth from Sirius to their mother. She smiled again and he nodded, hurrying along. As soon as he was out of the room, she grabbed a handful of Sirius's hair and yanked hard enough to make him cry out.

'If you place one _toe _out of line today, I swear it Sirius, I swear it your father and I are through with you. You could die for all we care. I _swear _it Sirius.'

He gulped and looked up with blazing silver eyes. Never had Sirius before in his life looked so _vulnerable. _And that was precisely what made him look so goddamn beautiful. Even Walburga was a little taken back at her son's radiance. He stood up, drawing himself to his towering height, and peered down at her.

'Do your worst.'

* * *

**A/N:** I'm uploading this chapter via my shit BlackBerry, i.e, why this chapter might have poor grammar and spelling. As soon as my laptop is working and internet starts to work again [I'm stealing my neighbours right now] I'll edit this.

Now, things I'd like to point out:- I KNOW it's Mundungus Fletcher, but in his story it's Fletcher Mundungus. Also, I'm so sorry this is late. I was really sick and in the hospital but I'm better now! I hope you've enjoyed this. I'd also like to thank MilyMB for reminding me this story exists!

If you're interesting in reading more SB/JP stories, check out my page! Updates will be slow because I have approaching exams! Thanks for everything!

Please review.


	10. Truth Will Out

**A/N: **This is so overdue, but I hope you still like it. It might seem rushed, but that's what happens when you have so many god-forsaken exams. Please help me.

My story GUITAR STRINGS & ROSES was deleted, but I think that's more my fault that this site's.

I'd like to thank MilyMB for pressuring the hell out of me, without her this wouldn't be out. Anyway, this AN is pointless, so just please enjoy the chapter. There's a little twist as the end. Remember to review! Thank you so much!

* * *

_xoxo_

_10. Truth Will Out_

Sirius was always dressed impeccably. And he was also always dressed similarly to his brother. This time, for the will reading, he wore a crisp new _Armani _suit. He'd rather die than wear D&G like his father.

_Matchy-matchy _his arse.

'Come on,' Sirius said to his brother, taking his hand as they waited for the chauffeur to come around and open the limousine door. His mother and father were travelling in a different car, they had "things" to talk about, whatever that meant.

Sirius held his brother's hand tightly in his own, as him and Regulus walked up the gravel of Irma and Pollux's home. Sirius didn't like his grandparents at all. But he bit his lip and squared his shoulders, as he hurried up the porch of the large rich home.

'Why is the will bein' readed here?' Regulus asked curiously, still holding on tighter to his brother.

'It's _read, _Regulus, like the colour. And I think it's because old Bollocks and Irma want to take charge of everything.'

Regulus giggled, and then smiled at his big brother. '_Bollocks!_ Oh, grandfather Pollux would be so annoyed if he heard that.'

Bending down to pick up him brother, Sirius cuddled Regulus and tucked some of the boy's black hair behind his ear. He kissed the side of his brother's face repeatedly, muttering 'I've missed you so much,' and knocked on the door afterwards.

The maid answered almost instantly and then smiled at the two boys. She took their suit jackets after Sirius set his brother on the floor. 'You okay?' He asked.

The little boy nodded and took his elder brother's hand. 'Let's go to our bedroom—' they shared a bedroom here at Pollux and Irma's home. It was a large and modern bedroom. And Sirius loved it, surprisingly.

'We can't. Mother and father'll be here soon...' and just as he spoke, they heard from the other end of the long corridor, the door bell ring.

The maid rushed past them and threw the door open. 'Good evening Mr and Mrs Black.' She said.

Walburga simply handed the other woman her coat, but Orion was gracious. He smiled and nodded and thanked her, like all good gracious men should.

'Why was you taking so long?' Regulus asked. Then he leaned in to listen to what Sirius was saying and amended his speech. 'Why did you take so long?'

Their mother almost smiled at her eldest son. _Almost._

'We were just stuck in traffic.' Orion answered his younger son, patting the small boy's head. Then he turned to look at Sirius, appraising the wounds he had on his face; the healing lip, the swollen nose, the bruise on his cheekbone. The eldest Black shook his head. 'I'm sorry, son.'

And he really did sound sorry. Which was why Sirius didn't, for the life of him, believe a single word. Good acting ran in the family. 'I'm sorry too, father.'

Formalities, formalities, formalities. Such a formal, posh family. It drove Sirius insane. Together, they made their way to the main dining room. Pollux and Irma were sitting down at the head of the enormous nine and a half thousand pound table.

'Darling,' Irma called, beckoning her daughter over and kissing each of her cheeks. With hair a pitch (and probably dyed to cover up the greys) black and glistening silver eyes, Irma looked quite a lot like her daughter, and therefore, quite a lot like her grandson.

'Orion,' Pollux said, shaking hands with his son-in-law. Then he looked at his two grandchildren. 'Sirius,' he sighed softly, summoning his grandchild over and opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. His hair had also been dyed pure black, and his skin was smoother than it should have been for someone over sixty. He was quite tall, only just an inch or so taller than Sirius.

Bracing himself, the silver eyed boy shook his grandfather's hand and smiled. 'Grandfather B-Pollux,' he corrected himself, almost laughing and ignoring the small giggle that he heard his brother utter.

The handshake tightened considerably. 'We've missed you.' Pollux said in a steely voice.

'I've missed you all too.' It was hard, Sirius decided, to lie through the skin of his teeth. But he managed. That didn't mean they believed him though, but they, like him, pretended to believe him.

'Sirius!' Irma cried, and she gave him a tight, long and slightly uncomfortable hug. _Bitch, _he thought. There was a knock on the dining room door, and in came James and his parents. A while later, more relatives came.

Bellatrix actually _laughed _when she saw Sirius. Then she asked him how the loopy shack was and Sirius was sure if not for Narcissa, he would have hit her. There was a reason he hadn't spoken to her and avoided her yesterday, only now there were less people and walls to separate them. After all she had done to him...

Tea was distributed, and glasses of scotch were handed out as well as caviar on small cut crackers and tiny little expensive cakes. It was all ridiculously upper class and what not.

James knocked his drink back and asked very politely for another one. When that was gone, he grunted and licked his lips, before he reached up to loosen the tie knotted around his neck.

'... just waiting for Mr Anders to come. He must be stuck in traffic or something,' Irma squealed, giggling and unnecessarily wiping her mouth with the silk handkerchief her husband passed to her.

'Oh no,' a deep and rumbling voice interrupted from the doorway. 'I'm here.' He was a medium sized man, with a crisp dark suit and a brown leather briefcase. He smiled. 'Hello Mrs Black, I'm, as you already know, Christopher Anders, your son's lawyer.' He reached over to shake Irma's hand and then he shook Pollux's. 'I'm very sorry I'm late. There was a bit of trouble with the will, lots of confusion, what with many of you being involved.'

Everyone looked up. After all, everyone wanted a piece of the will. For different reasons of course.

But it was all the same sentiment or whatever...

'Never mind though, everything's been sorted out.' There was a special chair reserved for him, on Irma's right and Pollux's left. It seemed, for today, Mr Christopher Anders would be the head of the family. Just for today. And maybe he would enjoy it.

'Okay, let's start.'

The room was silent; a pin drop could have been heard. Mr Anders set his heavy and costly suitcase on the oak table and flicked the hatches open. He took out a folder before packing his suitcase away. Anders put his glasses on with a deliberate slowness and swallowed nosily.

'I, Alphard Pollux Black declare this to be my last will and testament, last modified on the nineteenth of April—'

'Where's Andromeda?' Sirius asked suddenly. As soon as he said her name, almost everyone frowned. Andromeda had become, only a short while back, just a little haywire. And though she wasn't disowned, she was shunned by the family. She had, unfortunately, dropped out of University and gotten married to a man called Ted who worked in a garage.

To say that Druella and Cygnus were annoyed was an understatement. They had been _livid. _Especially since they'd arranged Andromeda to marry a guy with the called Malfoy.

Andromeda's life was going good though; she had an internship with Vogue magazine for writing; and though she probably got in because of who her aunt was, it didn't make her appreciate it any less.

'Sirius, shut up, just for once.' Narcissa said unkindly, tossing her beautiful golden hair behind her.

'Actually, as I mentioned in the letter, Andromeda Black-Tonks _is _mentioned in the will. And I find it pertinent that she be here whilst it's read.' Anders interrupted.

'Can't you just mail her whatever she's received?' Bellatrix asked, evidently bored.

'Of course not,' Anders cried, 'I can't risk it getting lost or stolen. No, I'll just have to arrange a separate meeting with her for another time. Now, where was I ... yes ... the last will and testament—'

'Can't you just hurry that part along please?' Walburga asked, extremely eager.

Mr Anders looked up, glared at her, but shrugged. 'I probably should actually ... okay.' And then he took on his snootiest, posh voice and cleared his throat. 'To my dear and darling Bellatrix, I leave my jewels, the ones I collected and the ones I kept in hopes that if I ever had my own daughters, as beautiful as you, they would one day wear them. But I'm sure you'll look just as divine as they ever would have looked.'

She smiled to herself and took a legal document that was handed to her, looking at it. 'When can I receive my...' she drifted off when Mr Anders, the lawyer, produced an exquisite box from inside his very large crate Sirius only just noticed. It wasn't enormous, Alphard's leather box, but when opened, the inside shone; like the night's sky. There were jewels of all colours, necklaces and earrings; rings and watches. It was beautiful.

'Oh God,' Bellatrix whispered.

'Andromeda isn't here right now...' Mr Anders muttered to himself, but Pollux cut him off.

'No, don't be scared. Finish what you were saying.' He sounded angry.

Cygnus nodded and fixed Mr Anders with a chilling look. Clearing his throat, the lawyer started talking again. 'To Andromeda, the sweetest of the family, the cherry of the tree, you my dear, are entitled to a sum of two millions pounds—'

'Oh fuck!' Sirius breathed, biting him lip and looking up. He assessed the family's reactions. They were livid; cold; fucking furious. And never had Sirius seen them _so angry!_

How could Alphard? To Andy? Preposterous!

'Told you he loved the whore.' Bella whispered to Narcissa, grinning at the younger sister when she laughed.

'Please!' Mr Anders cried. And then he carried on. 'To Narcissa, the only one in the family who gave a damn about my problems, and called me Uncle Alpha, I bequest my holiday homes in Portugal and Spain. I know she'll put good use to it.'

The will reading sped on. Alphard left a million pounds to his parents each, a crown worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to his brother and Aunty Druella, and a gold plated golf set to Orion. Walburga was the one everyone waited for.

Alphard's favourite family member, to some it would seem. And the relative Alphard hated most, it would seem to others. 'Wally, my gorgeous elder sister. The one who would guide me, the one who would bully me, hurt me and love me. Maybe without you I'd be a better person, maybe without you I'd be lonely. Either way, I got you. And I thank god for blessing me with your presence, the presence that taught me something during my childhood.'

Mr Anders paused, and he pulled out a leather bound book from his box. He handed it to Walburga and she opened it slowly. 'The photo album we thought was lost. Of just me and you and Cygnus. The photo album that changed everything, in all the good and bad ways.'

She was in awe; maybe the good kind, maybe the bad kind. And when she opened it, a solid gold locket came out, with the largest diamond. It was breath taking. She gasped.

'There might be a little present in there for you Wally.' Mr Anders read, whilst everyone watched with affection. _Maybe it wasn't about money..._

'Love you, forever.' Mr Anders said clearly, before turning over the sheet of paper and clearing his throat once again. 'Regulus, beautiful little Regulus.' The boy in question giggled and shifted on his brother's lap. Sirius bent down to kiss his hair and looked up. 'I've always loved you. I haven't been as close with you as I have with your handsome older brother, but I know that you mean the world to me. I leave with you five million pounds—'

Everyone gasped. Regulus just giggled and held out his hand. 'Where is it?'

'Holy fucking crow,' James muttered, 'he really does love you.'

'Where is it Siri?' Regulus asked again. 'Where's my five million pounds?'

'This guy's just keeping it safe for you,' the elder brother said softly. Then he looked up. He couldn't deal with the suspense. 'Could you hurry up?' he flicked hair out of his silver eyes. 'Please.'

James's parents received money each, and Dorea also got a watch, expensive and one she had always admired. Then of course, it was Prongs' turn. James looked up, mouth dry and body trembling.

'Hit me.' He said, the corner of his mouth quirking up in an odd sort of smirk.

Mr Anders cleared his throat. 'James Potter ... you might as well have been called James Black. I think of you as my nephew, my son. Not my nephew's best friend. I love you James, truly, I do. You've been there to take care of Sirius; you've been there to take care of _me _even. And I'm forever in your debt for it. Which is why I leave you ten million pounds and my holiday home in Egypt. You love Egypt. You also love Tokyo, have my flat there too.'

Everyone stared at James; most envious, Sirius proud, and Regulus amazed. 'You're not even _blood,_' Bellatrix spat, glaring at James.

He ran a hand through his hair and turned to glare at her. 'Please, please, _please_ go fuck yourself.'

'You little fucking prick—' she hissed, half rising. But the restraining hand on her shoulder kept her down. She barked but looked away, staring expectantly at Walburga.

Walburga was still in trepidation at the fact that James _fucking _Potter had gotten ten million galleons!

'He's not blood. He can't simply go away with _ten million pounds_—'

'I assure you,' Mr Anders said slowly, 'he can. Now, do we want to argue about the will? Or do we want to listen to the last request?'

'Just continue.' Walburga snapped. 'We don't have all day.' Her voice was cold, angry and very intense.

Like she meant something else behind the words. It frightened Sirius, and he shivered.

'To Sirius Orion Black.' Mr Anders smiled at the words. 'My heart. My _son. _Oh, how I wish you were my son! You said your first word to me, you know. And you told me you loved me first. I think, in many ways, you did love me most. Great things are destined for you. I know you and James probably think I'm lying about this, but I mean it when I say that _great things _are out there, waiting for you to overcome, to create, to unravel.

'Maybe I would have come home to London less if it wasn't for you. But I know the only thing that had me returning time and time again, was you. Just you. I leave you a letter...'

Mr Anders pulled the last item out of the crate and handed the thick expensive paper to Sirius, with Alphard's elegant loopy calligraphy on the front, saying _"To My Nephew, Sirius". _

There was muttering, whilst everyone waited for Sirius to open the letter and check to see whether anything was inside. He shook his head and put it down; making sure no one could read it. He had a feeling the words were very private, and only for him. Maybe not even James.

'Just a letter?' Sirius breathed, almost smiling.

Mr Anders smiled and shook his head. 'Twenty five and a half million pounds—'

'No,' he whispered. Other "NO"s rung through the room, and he sort of agreed. _Twenty five and a half? TWENTY FIVE AND A FUCKING HALF? _

No. No. No.

Impossible.

Sirius felt his eyes water. He was rich enough as it was. All the modelling jobs, all the wealth his father had from his aristocratic position, from his mother and her job...

He was already a millionaire. Maybe _now _he was a billionaire?

Maybe.

'Thank you Alphard...' he whispered.

'That's not all.' Anders called out, shushing and trying to restore quiet. When the room (after about five minutes) was quiet and everyone had stopped hissing death threats at Sirius, Anders continued. 'I have a home,' he continued. 'The whereabouts is unknown, but the secret is written _in that letter _you hold in your hands. It's yours. The directions are yours. And whenever you want to ... escape ... it's yours to go to. Out in the wild, where no one can find you. It's yours. I love you Sirius. It's yours.'

Anders was quiet for a long moment, letting everyone register what had just happened. He swallowed and then the room broke out into chatter. No one even noticed the man place in front of each of them a copy of the will, and some documents, and some cards.

'Sign it please,' he said. 'Please sign it...'

It was too late though. The arguments had already started. And really, no one could blame Sirius for lashing out and slapping Bellatrix across the face. The bitch was just _asking _for it.

_xo_

'I'm rich,' Sirius whispered. 'Filthy rich.' And he laughed. 'I can't believe it.'

James took a drag of his fag and exhaled after a moment. They were on the balcony, still in their designer suits, and with cigarettes in one hand and whiskey in the other.

'I can't believe it.' He breathed again. Then, before he knew it, he was frowning. His eyes watered and he could hardly breathe properly. 'I don't know how to thank him.'

'You can't...' James said quietly, patting Sirius on the back. 'I want to thank him too. Ten million. I'm sorted for the rest of my life.'

'We're both sorted.' He amended.

'Gonna open that letter,' James said, pointing at the letter sticking out of Sirius's breast pocket. He looked at it and jolted before taking it out slowly.

It took too long; painstakingly long. James waited edgily, tutting and chewing his lip, when finally, Sirius looked up, tears brimming in his eyes.

'What?' James asked quietly, grabbing his surrogate brother by the forearms. 'Padfoot?' he questioned.

Sirius silently handed him the letter, polishing off both their whiskeys in less than a second. James started to read. Slowly. Savouring Uncle Alphard's last words.

_Dear Sirius,_

_Before you ask or wander how on earth I know/knew (I'm not sure which tense is really applicable) about death coming for me, first let me just tell you that I love you._

_I've never been proud of much in my life. But of you and James, definitely. You've both been shaped into brilliant, perfect, kind boys, and if I have to admit my worries in life, it would be that your families will finally corrupt you. _Don't let them!

_Now, to the topic of this letter, I know my time is coming to a close._

_Sirius, you won't believe me, but try to. I swear it. I swear on my life and yours that someone is following me! Someone is _trying _to kill me! And I'm scared. But if God thinks it's my time to go, if that cruel bastard thinks it's my time to go, why should I stop them? Why not embrace it? Embrace it like I've embraced all my failed relationships. Embrace it like I've embraced the fact that your mother is not the woman I grew up with._

_I'm in America right now, and it feels like my time is coming to a close. I think a few weeks at most. I'll try and see you, but if I can't, then I can't._

_Just remember, I love you. More than anything. Even if you find out some things about me, some hurtful things, remember the good times, cherish the memories..._

_Stay safe, you and James._

_I love you both, so so much._

_Yours forever, Uncle Al_

_P.S. On the back of this letter is the address to your home in Australia. Far enough from your mother, I hope._

_xo_

Sirius and James were dropped off the next day to Azkaban Asylum. It was in the papers, about how much money both boys were given. They were richer, if possible, than before. But that didn't matter to them. Because Alphard had been murdered. And no one was doing anything about it. Alphard had been murdered. And they were locked up. In Azkaban.

The truth was out. The question was were they going to do anything about it?

* * *

**A/N: **I hope this chapter is alright, and not too rubbish. Reviews with constructive criticism are always welcome.

Thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of your day. :)


	11. The Appearance of Someone New

**A/N: **this is out super quick, so please review this chapter. I'm really happy about this and I hope you all like it.

* * *

_xo_

_Sirius and James were dropped off the next day to Azkaban Asylum. It was in the papers, about how much money both boys were given. They were richer, if possible, than before. But that didn't matter to them. Because Alphard had been murdered. And no one was doing anything. Alphard had been murdered. And they were locked up. In Azkaban. _

_xoxo_

_11. The Appearance of Someone New_

'I love you,' Sirius whispered into his brother's ear, kissing Regulus's forehead and holding him tight. Who knew how long it would take for him to get out of Azkaban, if he indeed made it out, who knew? He still couldn't get the thought of someone murdering Alphard out of his mind.

Kind Alphard, strong Alphard, sweet Alphard.

Why would anyone hurt him?

Regulus's arms tightened around him, and he nuzzled his baby brother's neck, taking in the smell, savouring it, savouring the feel of his little brother holding him.

'You grow big and strong for me,' Sirius said, ignoring all the eyes watching. They were in the courtyard; parents were not allowed to stray any further. And like before, he stood at the gates, parents lurking behind, watching and waiting.

'You stay safe too,' Regulus murmured before clumsily kissing Sirius, tears streaming down his face. 'I don't want you to go Siri,' he wailed. Then he turned to his parents. 'Mummy, please let Sirius stay.'

'It's time to say goodbye,' Greyback cleared his throat, a cruel smile on his face.

'I'll see you sooner than you think. Come visit me.' Then Sirius stood up, picking Regulus from the floor and cradling the six year old like he were three. 'Mother, please bring him to see me. I ... I can't stand the thought of being without him.'

'We'll see.' She said briskly. Then she stepped forward, and before the handsome teenager knew it, his mother was holding onto him. He set Regulus down and slowly wrapped his arms around her.

'You aren't coming out for a long time Sirius...' she said softly.

His face dropped and he swallowed noisily. Then he licked his lips and kissed Walburga Black on the cheek. 'If I get out, when I get out, you're the first person I'm coming after.'

She stumbled back and without another word, snatched Regulus's hand and dragged the crying boy away. There was a moment where Sirius and Orion just watched each other. Then Orion threw his head back and laughed, taking out a deck of B&H Silver and fishing one out.

'A way to apologise for all the time you'll spend in here,' the father of the gorgeous boy said. He reached over to hand it to his son, when Sirius launched himself across the grass at his father.

_Thank god for Greyback,_ Sirius thought, _otherwise father would be sprawled on the floor. _His father didn't even part him with a look, instead letting Filch guide him out of the enormous electric gates guarding Azkaban.

When Sirius was thrown through the waiting room door and into a chair beside James, he barely even calmed. 'I hate my father!' he screamed angrily, eyes bulging and lips thinning. The bespectacled teen wrapped an arm around Sirius's shoulders as they watched one of the asylum doctors and a prison officer roam around the room.

'Potter,' the officer ordered gruffly, 'get over here.'

And the checks and searches began.

_xo_

It was an hour and a half later, and James was alone now with one of the officers, waiting to be led to his room.

Slughorn was a nice man, he only held onto James tightly whilst the other officers were watching. But when they were out of sight, his grip on James's arm loosened considerably.

'Old Sluggy,' James said softly, still slightly drunk from the night before and the morning's activities with Sirius. They had, after reading the letter, sipped their way through bottles of Bacardi and Malibu. It was epic, and nauseating, and caused for a terrible hangover.

He was tired now, James was. He just wanted to sleep.

'School's started again today. Don't worry though, you're not gonna miss much.' The large, rotund man explained hastily, pulling out his keys and unlocking James's room. Apparently, rooms were locked during lessons. But there was a control that could open all the doors of one floor, so guards and teachers wouldn't have to individually open each and every room. James would have loved to see the controls.

He knew it would be incredibly interesting. And very useful too! The door to him and Remus's room was thrown open and he stepped inside. 'Is it true, Potter, that you've inherited ten million quid?' Slughorn asked, almost eagerly, drool practically _spilling _from his dry, pink bottom lip.

James nodded almost reluctantly. 'Sirius inherited twenty five though. So really, compared to him, I didn't get that much.' The bespectacled teen almost growled at how arrogant he sounded; how rich and pretentious and so very very spoilt he must have come across as.

He didn't even wait for Slughorn to respond before he started taking his clothes off; it was boiling; the hottest day of the year so far, and getting hotter.

He looked out of the large window, running a hand through his shiny black hair, twinkling hazel eyes behind his specs focusing on the gorgeous redhead playing cricket a hundred metres or so away. James opened his window as far as it would go (which wasn't very far) and leaned over as far as he could, trying to make out every feature of the girl below.

Lily Evans was wearing tight tiny black shorts and a white vest top, revealing too much alluring cleavage. Her hair was tied up in a bouncy ponytail and she was leaping around the pitch; a fielder, by the looks of it.

Then Lily was off like a rocket. She was fast, she was. She chased the ball, arms out before her, when she deftly caught the cricket ball in one hand and held it up, grinning widely at everyone. She was shouting something, and her whole team ran to her, hugging her and high-fiving her.

James's attention was stolen from her adorable butt when Slughorn cleared his throat. 'Lunch is in an hour, and I have a lesson to prepare for in ten minutes, so I'll see you later Potter. I'm going to have to lock the door...'

The bespectacled boy wasn't listening though. He was lying down on his narrow, small bed; body heaving with exhaustion. 'Got a fag, Slugs?' he asked before the old man could leave.

Slughorn searched his pockets, which seemed to have a lot of garbage in them, when he finally pulled out a deck of Mayfair. He threw a box of matches to James, and the deck, which had only two cigarettes left in it. Nodding his thanks, the bespectacled Marauder smiled and watched the large man leave the room, with all three chins.

The door closed, and James sighed. A while later, with smoke stirring in his chest, and tongue peeping out to damp his lips, his eyes roamed back to the red haired girl, arms up in the air and an enormous grin lighting up her face; lighting up her emerald eyes.

_xo_

Sirius and James walked through the large dining hall together, bare elbows brushing, eyes glued to the ceiling. They didn't know what they were waiting for, what they were watching out for. Maybe for different things each.

Then James caught sight of an eager Remus, beckoning them over. He was sitting once again with Lily, Alice and Marlene. His shirt was off, and Sirius's eyes roamed the half-Italian boy's body almost hungrily.

When he was close enough, Alice launched herself at him; everyone was watching curiously. She wrapped her arms around him, and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her back. Then she moved away, assessing his face.

'What happened to your ... face...' she whispered softly, tucking some black hair behind her ear.

Sirius shook his head. 'I got in a fight.' Before she could start talking some more, he kissed her chastely and then stepped away, to James's side.

James, who was making eyes at Lily. Lily, who was laughing at his antics.

'Sit down,' Remus called out. Alice practically _sat _in Sirius's lap when he was finally seated. He held her hand and kissed it every so often; ignoring the eyes he could feel quite literally burning into the side of his face, the back of his head.

'Is it true?' Remus asked. 'Did you really inherit twenty five million quid?' his voice shook when he said the figure, like he couldn't quite believe it; like he was finding it hard to believe. He probably thought the press were lying.

But they weren't.

'Yeah...' Sirius answered almost shyly.

'Fuck,' Remus breathed. 'That's a lot of money.'

'A-and a mansion? Did you inherit a mansion?' At the silver-eyed boy's nod, everyone around the table (save James) exhaled in shock.

'Fuck,' the redhead murmured, 'he must have really loved you.'

'So much.' Sirius nodded, swiping Remus's Pepsi and downing it. He still felt a little drunk from drinking with James early in the morning, but he also felt hungover from yesterday night.

_I know my time is coming to a close..._

How had he known though? THAT was the big question. Sirius wasn't prepared to let go of Alphard yet. His uncle, and in many ways, his father.

He didn't hear the questions Alice and Lily and Remus were asking him, too busy thinking about his uncle, the supposed "organ failure" that killed him ... he didn't know how ... unless...

_Unless he was poisoned._

'Twenty minutes left of lunch.' Lily told them. 'Aren't you guys coming to lessons?' When they shook their heads, her eyes flickered to James before falling to her hands. _What was wrong with her? _

'We don't have to go today. They're gonna explain all the rules to us ... like we give a fuck...' James huffed. He took a sip of Lily's Sprite, revelling in the fact that they were sharing saliva. He didn't even really _like _Sprite much. He just wanted an excuse to put his lips on something she'd put her lips on.

'So, what are you guys gonna do now?'

'Say,' Sirius asked, 'I have this guard who keeps hanging around outside my room, and keeps coming in to talk to me too.'

'Describe him...' Lily said, retying her long red hair into a high messy bun.

'Blondish hair, big blue sexy eyes, not much taller than me; seems like he's quite young.' Sirius was now polishing off Alice's apple crumble, whilst she played with his thick hair.

'_Benjy!_' the girls all cried out in unison, exchanging wide grins. 'Benjy Fenwick's back!'

'Who, pray tell, is Fenwick?' the bespectacled teen asked, turning to face Remus and waiting patiently for him to explain.

'Only like "the hottest prison guard everrrrr!"' the other boy said, voice high as he wailed in what was clearly an imitation of Alice's voice.

'I don't speak like that,' the half-Spanish girl laughed, slapping Remus around the head and going back to playing with Sirius hair. 'And it's true. He is _just so dreamy._'

Before they knew it, Sirius was laughing, laughing really hard. He shook his head when asked what on earth he was chuckling about.

'I haven't seen Benjy in _weeks!_' Lily cried, her face lighting up. 'He was suspended, you see. Filch snitched on him, told Warden Dumbledore that Benjy was giving alcohol out. Filch was saying they shouldn't let people who're twenty ever be prison guards. They're too ... what was the word he used Marls?'

'Too flexible. Lenient. Clearly he hasn't met Hagrid or Slughorn.'

'He does look _flexible, _doesn't he?' Alice chimed, staring at her can of Pepsi almost dreamily.

And that was it, Sirius collapsed in laughter, his gorgeous face splitting into the widest smile. He looked different, transformed. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. James was happy whatever it was doing the job, was distracting his brother from Alphard's death. They'd only found out a few days ago.

The wound was still fresh. Fresher still, thanks to the letter Alphard left Sirius. The letter that hadn't done anything positive. All it had done was make Sirius and James that much more determined to get out of Azkaban Asylum.

They needed to find out what exactly had happened to Alphard.

'Why're you laughing?' James asked, throwing an arm around Sirius's shoulders and ruffling her hair. Something was whispered into his ear, and before he could control it, James spat out a mouthful of Pepsi and, like Sirius, started positively _crying _with laughter.

They gagged and coughed and giggled for what felt like hours.

'Alright,' snapped Alice, 'what is it? What are you guys laughing about?'

Sirius bit his lip and composed his face. 'You ... you guys fancy Benjy?'

'Who _doesn't?_' Marlene asked, loosening her tie a little and tilting her head questioningly.

'Benjy ...' the handsome black couldn't go on, and he started laughing again. But when the others grew impatient, he opened his mouth and said in one breath, '_Benjy-Fenwick-Is-Fucking-Flaming-Gay!_'

The girls stared at him. Angrily. Disbelief written all over their faces. Lily was shaking her head, Alice was mouthing "gay?" under her breath and Marlene was frozen with shock.

It was the latter who asked the question, 'How do you know?'

Sirius licked his lips and kissed the air, making over exaggerated kissy faces. 'No!' Lily gasped. 'You did _not _kiss him!'

'I didn't kiss him. He kissed me. And I quite liked it, if I'm honest.' He admitted sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

'Sirius is bisexual,' Remus murmured to the redhead, only for her ears.

'Dear god, it's too early for this many surprises.' She groaned, her head dropping forward and smacking against the table. She shook her head and groaned again. 'He's so _fit _though...'

He really was, too. Sirius didn't know whether he liked his eyes more, or his lips; big, plush and red. Fenwick was fucking gorgeous. Young too.

Speaking of the devil, Benjy walked past, and all three girls watched him, mouths open and eyes wide. He waved at them, sending each of them a wink before looking away and lighting a cigarette. He was about half way through it when Slughorn came up to him, murmured something kindly in his ear, and Fenwick grudgingly put out the fag.

No smoking _inside. _

Then the enormous man clapped the younger man on the shoulder and lumbered off. Fenwick looked both aloof and nonchalant, lounging against the pillar and waiting for the bell.

It rang loud and clear through the dining hall.

'I don't wanna go up to my room for the next two hours, doing shit all.' James moaned. Then he grinned. 'You guys said Fenwick's lenient, right?'

'He just got back. Don't go and get him suspended _again!_' Marlene moaned. 'I don't care if he's gay. He flirts with us, and he's nice to look at.'

It was too late, however. Sirius and James were already exchanging wide grins. 'Come on girls,' Slughorn was saying to them. 'Get to your next lesson. Lunch is over. Potter, Black, you know where to go from here.'

'I'll escort them, Slugs,' Fenwick said, appearing right behind the large man. Horace looked as though he didn't know whether to be _relieved _or _exasperated. _He settled for something in between.

'O-okay Benjy, but _straight _there...'

'What am I? Five. I can escort a bunch of rich, pompous-y prats. Come on guys, let's go.' He winked at Slughorn, and then walked off. Expecting them to run after him. And the truth was, they _did _run after him.

Sirius could not wipe the smug smile off of his face, his eyes were glued to Benjy's arse. And all Sirius could keep in mind was the scene that had only taken place less than two hours ago.

_xo_

'So, you're that new kid they're all talking about? I read in the paper this morning that you inherited twenty five million quid.' It was a seductive voice coming from the doorway.

Sirius read the tag the handsome, _incredibly _handsome man had on, which said "BENJY FENWICK" in big letters. Benjy...

Benjy was leaning against the door frame, watching Sirius carefully.

Sirius, who was in no condition to have a conversation; currently stark naked in the middle of the room and in the process of towel drying his luscious black hair. He didn't even blush, instead, continuing to dry his hair, like he wasn't naked in front of a man he'd known for less than ten seconds.

He looked up and smiled beautifully at Benjy. His eyes flickered to Benjy's genital area, and he almost laughed. Fenwick had a raging hard on.

Reaching over, Sirius grabbed some clean underwear from his bed and put it on. 'You know, before I came here to Azkaban, I'd never worn underwear less than sixty quid. And now I'm wearing briefs that I'd guess are about a pound, from the way they make my cock itch.'

'Rich brat,' Benjy joked, after swallowing anxiously. Then he came in and threw himself on Peter's bed.

'So, what are you? Like a teaching assistant or something?'

Benjy shook his head, blond hair falling into his eyes. 'No, I'm an officer.'

Looking up with wide silver eyes, the younger boy shook his head. 'Bollocks. You look eighteen.'

'Two years off, mate. I'm a prison officer. Just came back from my one month suspension.'

'Shit...' Sirius breathed. Then he asked kindly, with much eyelash batting, 'Got a fag?'

Benjy had Camel. Acceptable.

Sirius lit it and then exhaled as sexily as he could, which was damn right sexy. He was still in his boxers, and his eyes darted over to Benjy's crotch again.

Yep, the guy still had a bit of a stiffy.

'So, are you more of a good inmate, or a bad one?'

'Depends what you mean. I haven't been here three weeks yet and I've already been in Isolation. Does that mean I'm good or bad?' Sirius purred the last word.

'Bad.' Fenwick had an alluring smile. 'Really quite bad.' He grinned.

'Then I'm bad.'

'Are all rich people as pretentious as you?' The older man asked curiously, taking a swig of the drink he had in his hand. Sirius couldn't see the substance inside, but he had an idea what was in it.

'Yes. My old mum's even worse, you should meet her.'

'We haven't even had our first date yet.' Benjy laughed, offering Sirius some of the drink.

He took a long gulp, some of it dripping down his chin. Before Sirius knew it, Benjy had him pressed against the pillows, and was licking the alcohol off of his chin and neck. When the prison officer was done, his light eyes flickered up to Sirius's face.

He was laughing.

'I hate mess.' The blond haired man said.

Sirius didn't protest when those plush lips descended onto his again. He opened his mouth and forced his tongue against Benjy's, revelling in the taste and feel of the other man battling with him.

They battled for dominance for a while, and Sirius was surprised when Benjy soon gave up and simply enjoyed the feel of the younger man's tongue invading his mouth. When they separated, Benjy arrogantly flicked hair out of his eyes and picked up his Camel packet, waltzing out of the room without so much as a goodbye.

'Fuck,' Sirius said, shoving his hand down his briefs. He came into contact with something hard, and before he knew it, his head was thrown back and he was writhing in pleasure.

After a few minutes, he washed his hands in the separate bathroom and looked in the mirror, at his pink kiss-swollen lips.

'Fuck...'

_xo_

Sirius watched Benjy as he grinned at the girls he saw and nodded at the guys he walked past. When they were finally in the east wing on the second floor, Benjy stopped. '2E.7, right?' he asked.

'You've memorised my room number, thanks for that. It saves me having to write it down for you or whatever.'

James coughed beside him, but walked along. 'Ben...' he said, smiling brightly when the older man's eyes flickered to him.

'Can you let me stay in Sirius's room? Only, I can't imagine for the life of me what the fuck I'm expected to do for two hours in my own room?'

'You can always wank,' said Benjy, taking out his master key and opening the door with a flourish and a bow. 'After you, my Lords.'

'Oh, fuck off. We're not all like that.' Sirius groaned, before he launched himself onto his bed and sighed. 'My back hurts.'

'Want a massage?' Benjy joked, before he pulled out that flask of his and sipped it, ignoring the weary looks James was sending him. 'You're the other pompous twat I read about in the paper this morning. Ten million, was it?'

James ignored him and proceeded to throw Peter's pillow onto the floor and snatch his half empty packet of Marlboro Gold. He took a fag, lit it using the matches in the deck, and inhaling deeply. 'Dear God, I needed that.' He sighed.

'Parents still don't let you smoke, huh?' Benjy asked. 'You should do what I did when I lived with mine.'

'What was that?' Sirius asked, voice most flirtatious. He moved over a little when Benjy settled on his bed, peeling off his officer jacket and kicking off his shoes. The blond man winked. 'Told them to fuck themselves.'

'Our parents aren't as easily swayable—'

'You're _parents, _Sirius, aren't easily swayable. Mine are. Unfortunately for them, they're scared shitless of your mum and dad.'

The silver eyed boy grinned widely at James. 'My parents are pretty scary, aren't they?'

'Tell me about yourselves?' Benjy said, his head resting centimetres from Sirius's calf. 'You know, how life is, what with being rich and stuff.'

'Does that mean you'll let me stay here in Sirius's room till lessons end?' the bespectacled teen's face was hopeful; hazel eyes twinkling and teeth pulled into a wide and bright grin.

Benjy offered him the flask of whiskey and James took it, taking a long gulp. 'If you're stories are interesting enough ...'

James settled onto Peter's bed, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. 'There was this time where Sirius's mum sacked their maid for...'

The boys told Benjy stories; over exaggerated stories about how pompous and haughty their parents were. Benjy laughed when they paused, and grinned when Sirius winked at him, and soon they'd finished his flask of whiskey and were a bit more tipsy than they should have been.

The two brothers almost forgot about Alphard. Almost

'I like you,' Sirius said a while later, turning over so he was upside down on the bed. He made funny faces at James, who giggled that adorable chuckle of his.

'Wanna kiss?' Sirius said.

'For fuck's sake,' James snapped, turning over. Benjy was pale now and shaking his head. 'I don't kiss inmates,' the older man said.

'Oh, fuck off Benjamin. You and I were just making out earlier. Now, kiss me please. I haven't snogged a guy properly in so long...'

'You're going out with Alice,' James moaned, slapping a hand to his forehead and eyeing Sirius with distaste. 'Oh, Benjy, I've been dying to know for a while what Lily is in here for. Can you tell me?' he asked.

The heated moment between the other two men across the room disappeared however when James's question rung loudly through the room. The older man looked up. 'Evans? I can't disclose that sort of information, Potter, sorry.' His voice took on a posh, aristocratic tone.

'So you can snog a male inmate, but you can't tell me why my potential love is in here?' the bespectacled teenager asked angrily.

'Nah ... I'm joking, erm ... I can't remember, in all honesty. I sort of zone out after about twenty seconds, and I distinctly remember Lockhart prattling on about her, like she's something special. It involved falling off a building or whatever. Really, I can't remember. But don't let that scare you off though. Sirius's girlfriend's in here for trying to murder one of her parents and failing _miserably._'

'So there are lots of people in here for attempted murder or _successful _murder?'

'There's only one person in here for_ actual_ murder. The others failed at it, whether emotionally or physically.' Benjy was now playing with his hair, and looking at his watch occasionally.

Sirius swallowed. 'Who's that?'

'She doesn't matter. She's in Isolation. Has been since I left. But she should be coming out in a few days actually.'

'Who _is _she?' Sirius asked.

Benjy looked up, a mischievous smile on his face. He licked his lips, resembling a lion for a short moment. 'Her name's Taten. Rose Taten.'

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you've liked Benjy in this chapter, and I promise he's going to make loads of appearances in the future. And yes, Rose Taten is in another one of my stories.

Please review. :)

Have a fantastic day!


	12. Taten

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay, I've had this chapter written for a while now. I've just been lazy, and the only thing I've been writing frantically for is my new story _Few Beautiful Friendships, _which I'm so excited about. Check it out if you have time!

It's about what would have happened if Sirius was resorted into Gryffindor in his sixth year, with a motive to protect his brother as well as to become a Death Eater and destroy Voldemort from the _inside. _Please check it out.

Now I'm gonna stop trying to sell my story to you guys, and let you enjoy chapter twelve of Wild Boys.

**Warnings:** Slash, sexual scenes.

* * *

_xoxo_

_12. Taten_

Sirius's arms tightened around the other man. He didn't know what was telling him, but something suggested about the familiarity Benjy moved and acted with that this wasn't the first time the prison officer had played around with an inmate.

He whispered the older man's name against his lips, hands sliding down his long lithe body to fumble with the belt clasp. Soon, he was in and stroking Benjy's cock.

'Fuck Sirius,' he panted, nipping his chin and his lip.

Sirius laughed that arrogant, throaty laugh of his, and the speed of his hand increased. He started sucking the officer's chin, lapping at the small bead of sweat collected at his pulse point.

Then he leant up a little too quickly to kiss Benjy, feeling the older man's body quivering against his. 'Fuck,' Benjy cried, his climax exploding before him. He emptied himself on Sirius's hands, who in answer wiped the remnants of Benjy's ecstasy on the boxers bunched around the officer's thighs.

'You're amazing,' Benjy murmured against Sirius's forehead, kissing it briefly. 'This can't ever...'

'I know.' Sirius replied softly. 'Now shhh, it's my turn.'

After he and Benjy parted their separate ways with a chaste kiss, the prisoner leaving to go to his room and the officer off to do his duties and what not, the long-haired boy hurried to his room.

Sirius didn't know whether he was surprised, or annoyed when he finally reached his room. Peter was sitting on his bed, talking to James. Talking to James. _Peter?_ Yes, Peter. On _his _bed.

'Hey,' Sirius murmured, sitting beside James and throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders.

'Where have you been?' James asked.

'With Benjy.' Replied the other boy. Then he winked. He looked up to meet the watery, scared eyes of Peter.

Those tiny blue eyes.

'Yes Peter?' He asked. He only ever spoke to the boy when he needed to; through convenience or when he was bored in their room. Not because he wanted to though.

'N-nothing,' the younger boy said.

'Peter? D'you mind leaving me and James alone for a minute?' The shorter blond haired boy hesitated, eyes flickering to the door; not knowing whether to leave or not. This annoyed Sirius. 'Get the fuck out, man!' he snapped.

Peter ran out of the room without a second thought.

'You don't need to be so mean to him.' James said softly, stretching on the bed.

'Where's Remus?' Sirius asked calmly.

'He's in the library, drawing us a map.'

Sirius exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. 'We're really doing this? We're actually serious about ... you know ... breaking out and everything.'

'Of course we are. I can't let you stay here, and after finding out about Alphard, the nicest person I've ever know, being murdered? We can't possibly stay here! We need to get the fuck out, Padfoot. Even if it's impossible, we should try...'

'I know.' Sirius replied quietly. 'So, what do we do?' he then asked.

'We leave Remus alone in the library whilst he draws a map of Azkaban. And from there on, we plan. Any routes, any areas that have less security, we investigate further and take it from there on.'

_xo_

Remus was indeed in the library. He was running a frustrated hand through his golden brown hair and chewing his lip angrily. He was finding it tiresomely hard to draw the Girls' Wing of Azkaban. He knew it was somewhat similarly structured to the boys; an east wing, a west wing, but he didn't know how many rooms per floor, how many bathrooms there were, the average sizes of the rooms—

'Remus!' It was Lily, her pretty red hair pulled into a ponytail, and just some shorts and a vest on. It was horribly warm inside Azkaban. And during summer, despite the fact that they were in Scotland, they still grew terribly hot.

'Whatcha doing?' she said playfully, sitting beside him and musing his hair.

He tried to cover the mostly filled map from her, but Lily was clever. 'Is that a map?' she asked.

'N-no.' He murmured. 'It's—'

'You've got the Girls' Wing all wrong,' Lily huffed impatiently. She sat beside Remus, snatched the pencil from him and shuffled the paper over to her. Immediately, she began scrawling on the paper.

'You see, there are fifteen rooms on this floor, in the east wing, not like your block...' she talked it through with him, explaining in great detail about the whole Girls' Wing.

'We also have something that the Boys' Wing and the Classroom Blocks don't have. Some sort of rubbish chute, leading straight to the main gates.' She drew an invisible line. 'It goes underground and pops up at a drain pipe right here. If you're seen lingering there for some strange reason, you get in trouble.' She shook her head, red tendrils falling to cover her eyes.

'Anyway,' Lily continued, 'why d'you need to draw a map of the grounds?'

Biting his lip and hoping his face didn't betray any of the emotion he felt, Remus smiled up at his friend. 'For geography. You know, we're doing cartography right now. I want to keep it a secret for now though.' He wracked his brain to try and remember if Lily did geography. He was sure she did history.

'Oh,' she had a weird edge to her voice, but maybe she was just tired, Remus thought worriedly, 'that's cool Remus. Do you need me to do anything else?'

She was extremely talented at drawing, she was. 'Yeah,' he said. 'D'you think you can help me draw these lines out neater? I can't be asked to spend any more time at all bothering with it.'

'Sure Remus,' Lily replied cheerfully. She shuffled her chair closer to him and taking the pencil off of him, started to rub out lines and squares and draw them neater. Whilst she did this, Lily spoke to him. 'D'you remember that time last year? Where we almost slept together?'

He blushed. Of course he remembered. Lily was the first person he'd ever gone so ... far with. Then there was a ... a guy ... Remus had been honest when he told Sirius he'd messed around with a guy before. But he didn't want to delve into the story about Lockhart, not yet anyway. It could wait another day. Preferably another year, but it was a story that could wait.

Remus's golden skin turned red as he looked up slowly to meet her eyes. 'Y-yeah, I remember.'

'I never told you but ... but you were my first kiss,' Lily said softly. She was blushing herself, ducking her head and smiling softly. 'I've always wondered ... if Pince hadn't walked in, d'you think we would have gone the whole way?'

Remus shrugged and leaned over to look at what she was drawing. 'Probably. But what with me being so responsible and not having any condoms, well, I might have stopped it eventually.'

Lily giggled. 'Even half way through.'

He grinned. 'Maybe not actually...'

As she drew however her expression soured. She licked her lips. 'You haven't told anyone have you?'

Remus started laughing. 'You mean _have I told James? _No, of course not. I'm not going to run around telling people how cute you are when you're all flustered and wanton, and when you moan—'

Lily chuckled and hit his head, 'Shut _up _Remus Lupin. Anyway, just make sure you don't tell James. I don't want him thinking I'm some sort of _tart _or whatever.'

He mused her hair and smiled softly, 'I promise I won't tell anyone. I mean imagine what people will think of _me_? I'm some sort of monster seducer, seducing all the women of Azkaban. Others will be throwing themselves at me if they find out... wait, remind me of why I can't tell anyone again?'

She elbowed him and stepped on his foot all at the same time not too lightly. 'Shut up Lupin.'

He smirked and leaned over to look at what she was doing. 'So, what are you doing in the library on a weekend?'

'What d'you mean _on a weekend?_ Nothing wrong with coming to the library on a weekend. Like, what the fuck, you're in the library on a weekend. Are _you _allowed to be here but not me? Is it some unwritten rule? Am I—'

Remus covered her mouth and pecked the top of her head. 'No, Lily. I just mean are you here to do work? You looking for someone?' he released her.

'No, but I'm looking for some_thing _though. Hey Remus, you spend a lot of time in here. Have you seen a ring ... at all ... on the floor o-or the table?' she frowned when her friend shook his head. 'Dammit. I lost it when I got in that argument with Snape and his friends.'

'Your mother's ring?'

Her lower lip trembled. She couldn't stand the thought of having lost it. The ring her mother gave her meant _everything _to Lily. Especially after she'd ... she'd lost her mother.

Lily nodded, and gave a barely audible reply of, 'Yes.'

'I'll ask around for you. I'm sure someone should have seen it.' He told her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. 'Now, could you _please _explain why the heck girls get bigger bathrooms than the boys?'

_xo_

Remus, when he came back, handed the map to James. He jumped up and snatched it off Remus before his handsome face broke into a wide grin.

'Brilliant Remus, really.' He said excitedly, turning over the map to read the key points written out on the back. 'This isn't your handwriting though.' Behind his glasses, he was looking at Remus worriedly. 'Does anyone else know about this map? About our plan?'

The half-Italian lay on his bed, stretched out. He was fanning himself with a book on his cabinet and frowning. 'No, she doesn't know directly about the map or the plan, she thinks it's some homework, but Lily's smart—'

James's face changed from one of worry to one of happiness. 'Lily?'

Rolling his eyes, Remus nodded. 'Yes, Lily. She walked up to me doing it, told me I was bollocking up the Girls' Wing, corrected it and wrote down some things about it.'

'She smart?' the bespectacled teenager asked, working his bottom lip and running a hand through his hair nervously. When Remus nodded, he shook his head. 'Let's just hope she isn't too smart.'

Remus wanted to shout _"SHE IS!" _but he stayed quiet. 'Lily only came to look for something anyway. It's not like she's trying to conspire against us or work out what we're doing.'

James jolted and started shaking his head. 'What with my uncle's death and the will reading, I totally forgot to give Lily her ring back. She left it in the library and I took it so I could return it to her. I guess I just forgot to give it back...'

'You should give it back _now _James. That ring is her mother's. Her _dead _mother's.'

Nodding, the bespectacled teen went over to his cabinet and pulled out the ring from the top drawer. 'I'll go find her now. Give it back and all.'

Whilst he was putting his shoes on, he looked up at Remus. 'Could you tell me why she's in here?'

Remus shook his head. 'That's her story to tell. Sorry mate.'

Without another word, James left the room, in hopes he'd be able to track down Lily. He didn't know why he was so popular here. He hadn't been in Azkaban long despite the fact that everyone knew him; everyone waved and smiled when he walked past.

James still felt like none of them really knew him though.

Did they know James wouldn't hesitate to kill ten people just so Sirius could survive?

He bit his lip and tried hard to stop from thinking about such depressing things. Sirius was with Caroline the therapist at the moment, and everyone was enjoying the sunshine outside, and the weekend free time.

James wiped his forehead as he walked faster towards the large oak tree in the courtyard. Lily was sitting there were a few other girls. If she turned him down now, everyone would see. James did not want everyone to see.

When she saw him, matted messy hair, shirt mostly unbuttoned, cheeks flushed from exertion, Lily just _knew _he was coming over for her. He stood right in front of her and held out his hand. She blushed and ignored all the eyes watching; who wouldn't be watching James Potter, after all? Heart throb, handsome, hot James Potter?

Already a millionaire and not even an adult.

'What?' Lily asked, taking his hand. He pulled her up so she was flush against him.

'A little birdie told me you were looking for something...' he said as he searched his pockets, pulling out the small, pretty ring. Lily gasped and reached for it, but he held it out of her reach. 'Since I searched most chivalrously for this, fought tooth and nail to retrieve this ring from that Lord Saruman crackpot dude, I think I deserve a prize for this ring...'

He pouted and closed his eyes, lips purse and ready. But Lily wasn't going to give in so easily. She kissed his sweaty soft cheek, slipped the ring from his hand and turned to sit down with her friends.

James flushed, shaking his head with both amusement and distaste, before winking and leaving her after saying cockily, 'Your loss.'

_xo_

Sirius smiled at Caroline. No innuendos, no flirting, just a smile. She seemed surprised at him committing such a normal gesture, that when she handed him his cup of tea, a stream of questions came with it. The first being:

'Are you okay?'

Such a cold, detached, dumb question. If he didn't look okay, then why would he _be _okay? He wasn't _okay_ nor was he _fine _or _alright _or any of those other dumb words that barely even described his emotions.

'I hate that question. It's so dumb, so cold and disconnected. You ask strangers on the bus if they're "okay" when they trip up. Ask your cat in the morning if she's "okay". You don't ask someone you care about, or someone you know whether they're "okay" or not.'

He exhaled and shook his head. 'No, I'm not okay.'

Caroline smiled at him. 'What's wrong?'

This time, he smirked. 'Another question I despise. People regret asking "what's wrong" when they get a response of anything longer than "nothing" but they feel guilty when they _are _answered with "nothing". It doesn't make sense at all.'

Caroline wasn't writing anything down, a change for once. 'What's wrong, Sirius?' she asked.

'You read the papers, I'm sure?' when she nodded, he continued. 'So you know my uncle left me twenty five million quid?'

She started writing and he sighed, annoyed that his peace was short lived. 'Yes, but surely you're happy; you won't have to work a day. He's left you houses too.'

He shook his head. 'That's not the point though. My parents are angry at me for getting all the money. They'll want it back. They won't give it to me, not if they can avoid it. And most importantly, it's the fact that he's had to leave me stuff. He was so young and he's dead now. I-I can't ...' Sirius stopped talking, too absorbed in the fact that his beloved uncle was dead.

Before he knew it, Sirius was clutching at his hair, chewing on his lip and trying ever so vehemently to chase the tears away. They left, but how long _for..._

'I just ... I want to see my brother again, and hear his voice, and talk to him. I want to see him. He always makes me feel better.'

'You can speak to him!' Caroline said excitedly. 'There's a telephone box, free of charge of course, but if you're in a queue then maximum time for someone is five minutes. Anyway, it's at the edge of the courtyard. You can go there. Probably the first person to use it all month.'

'All month? Why, what's wrong with it?' he asked.

Caroline frowned. 'There's a stigma attached to it. Most of the inmates hate their parents for putting them here, even though they need Azkaban to rehabilitate them. They don't want to speak to their parents or call them. And so the ones who _do _want to speak to friends or home get bullied when they do. There's also a case of a girl trying to strangle someone with the phone line a few months ago. It's spurred a few copy-cats and most just don't want to risk it. Everyone here has at least one enemy, you see?'

'It wouldn't be someone called Taten by any chance, would it? The person to start the phone line strangling trend?' he asked tentatively.

Caroline frowned. 'Yes, a girl called Rose Taten. She's in actual fact due to come out of Isolation later today, sometime during dinner.'

'What, d'you think she should stay in there?' her tone wasn't a positive one and he had a feeling she didn't like Taten much.

'More often than not, I don't agree with the idea of Isolation, but for her I do. She should stay there for the rest of her time here at Azkaban. The same cycle happens. She's released, she's calm for a month or two, and then she tries to kill one of the inmates. It's tedious to say the least.'

Sirius grinned widely. 'She sounds like fun.'

'Humph, maybe from where you are,' Caroline mumbled before shaking her head and looking at Sirius. 'Now, Mr Black. Would you like me to show you where the phone is?'

They ignored what was supposed to be a therapy lesson and instead walked through Azkaban to where the telephone box was. It was vandalised and mostly ruined. The plastic shield around the two that were there was partially destroyed and ruined. But that didn't matter, not really. Because everything was still in tact.

'Why hasn't anyone destroyed the actual phone line if they hate it so much?' he asked as they hurried along the courtyard, which was a little emptier than before.

'Because then the person who does destroy it gets two weeks in Isolation. No one's willing to risk it.' She explained. 'Now, you disable the five minute re-setter like this...' she pressed buttons before telling him to write in his family home number.

Sirius did, smiling softly as he did it. The phone started ringing and he grinned radiantly at Caroline. 'I'm going to be a while.' He explained.

'I know. I'll see you later this week. Good luck.' She said before leaving.

Beep beep.

Beep beep.

_'Good morning, the House of Black here, who's speaking?'_

Sirius's body tensed. _'Hello, Karen? Could I speak to Regulus please? It's Sirius.' _He decided to be polite. Nothing bad ever happened to those who were polite, right?

She hesitated, before coughing softly and saying, _'Yes, Master Sirius. One moment. You're brother's watching TV.'_

_'If he's watching Disney Channel, change it. That stuff's going to pollute his mind.' _He laughed, waiting in anticipation for Regulus's voice.

_'Just what your mother was saying to me earlier ... Reg, your big brother's on the phone ... yes, all the way from where he is staying...' _

There was a pause, whilst Sirius held his breath. And then he heard a shy, tentative, _'Hi Sirius.'_

Sirius's body sagged, as he flopped down to the soft ground of the courtyard, facing all and watching everyone who dared watch him.

_'Hey, baby brother.' _His voice was cracking. _'I miss you.' _

_'I miss you too Sirius, so much. I was just saying to mummy this morning that I want to send you the picture I drew in school.'_

Sirius laughed huskily. _'Really? What did you draw?' _he sniffed, begging the overwhelming happiness inside him to calm down, just for a moment. Of course, it didn't. Nothing ever listened to him or did as he asked. It took the piss most of the time.

_'I drawed a big—'_

_'I _drew _Regulus, babe.'_

_'Sorry. Yes, I drew a big house. And you was in it, and James was. We had a big dog with us too. Big and soft and black. Everyone was scared of the dog, but we wasn't.'_

Sirius laughed softly, and he realised everyone near him was listening in. He spoke in softer tones. _'I miss you so much.'_

_'Miss you too.'_

_'Tell me about what you did in school after you drew the big house...'_

_xo_

Sirius dramatically threw himself into the nearest chair. It was dinner time and everyone was eating either mac and cheese or chicken breast soup; it tasted better than it sounded. 'Did you know, Prongs, that there's a telephone box, two actually, right in the corner of the courtyard? And you can speak to anyone for as long as you want?'

James's eyes widened. 'You're joking.'

'Yeah. I just spoke to Regulus for twenty minutes.' His voice broke. 'He _misses _us so much. He's so bored, James. W-we need to get out. I can't _bear the thought _of spending eight more months without him.'

'You're in luck,' murmured James just as they saw Remus coming over. 'Remus has completed a map of the all the blocks and wings of the asylum. Now we just need one of the underground, it can't hurt to see if there are any other more discrete routes. Especially since it seems we're going to be using an underground chute in the Girls' Wing.'

Sirius looked up. 'Y-you think there's a way then? You've found one.'

'Not if we don't get the underground maps no. But yeah Sirius, basically. We've found a way.' James grabbed his hand and looked elatedly at him. He was trembling from uncontained exhilaration and seemed like he wanted to run around singing and dancing. 'There might be a way Sirius. We can do this.'

Looking at the calm and collected Remus helped Sirius accept the fact that yes, there was a way out. And yes, they could do it. But not without the underground maps.

Little did they know that Peter Pettigrew sat on the other side of the pillar, eating his mac and cheese, eagerly drinking in every word they said.

_They were getting out? _They were getting out.

The boys, including Peter, were withdrawn from their conversations and thoughts however when a collective _"Aah" _echoed throughout the very large dining hall. There were seven officers, each with a baton (the only officer who carried his around was Filch, meaning that they were in for some serious business).

Greyback was there, amongst Lockhart and Slughorn and Hagrid. Probably four of the most powerful prison officers in the whole asylum.

'_Fuckkk!_' Remus said loudly. 'I didn't know they were letting her out!'

'Who?' James asked.

Everyone was watching carefully. Everyone, save Sirius and James, knew who the mystery girl was. _Rose fucking Taten, _that's who. Hagrid moved aside and they could finally see her. All they could see was her.

Taten was one of those girls, beautiful but you couldn't quite make out why. She looked like a younger version of Joss Stone, the singer.

Her hair was very long, thick and golden blonde. She had tanned skin and a gorgeous willowy figure; long legs, massive tits, a heart shaped face.

'_That's _Rose Taten? The only inmate to ever have killed someone? _Her?_' Sirius asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. She looked too innocent, too sweet and pretty to be so wild and feared.

There were massive, thick handcuffs binding her arms together. She was tackled with a shocking gentleness from Greyback. He undid the cuffs and then bent to whisper something in her ear. They could all hear her peal of laughter before she gave Greyback a big high-five.

The head of inmate punishments ruffled her blonde hair whilst he joked with her for a few minutes before leaving with two of the other officers out of the dining hall.

Without even waiting for the several other officers to confirm for her that she could go and get dinner, Rose sauntered through the hall and down some steps. She was grinning deliriously at some of the other females, smiling at them and winking at the boys.

Suddenly, Taten kicked out at a girl's chair and the poor unfortunate victim didn't do anything, save whimper softly. The prison guards watching didn't do anything too, almost like they were scared of Taten.

Sirius couldn't blame them, because deep down, under the feelings of excitement and exhilaration, he was slightly scared too. She was scary. She didn't give a fuck about anyone and _that _was scary.

* * *

**A/N: **Please review! And go on my profile and check out _Few Beautiful Friendships_. I hope you've all had a good Christmas and New Year!


	13. Her Knowledge

**A/N: **Please check out my story on my profile; it's called Few Beautiful Friendships and it's about Sirius and what would have happened if he moved during sixth year to Slytherin.

This is dedicated to Kazo Sakamari, who always pushes me to update, and who writes very kind reviews:'D

**Warnings: **A little bit of animal cruelty, regarding maggots. You know, personally I despise them and don't regard them as animals, but I have lots of friends and family who seem to care about them, weirdly enough. Also a little bit of homophobia.

* * *

_xoxo_

_13. Her Knowledge_

Lily didn't think of herself as a nosy person. She just liked to know what was going on around her. And she considered Remus to be a friend, a good friend, so if he was doing something wrong, well, she wanted to be there to support him, or discourage him (if the thing in actual fact was leading to something _bad_).

She was sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the blistering heat. It was ten minutes before break ended, and right then, her and Marlene were waiting for Alice to come. Alice, the only friend of …

Rose Taten.

_The_ Rose Taten, the one who scared the hell out of every sane inmate. And even then, Alice was cautious of her. She hung around with Taten sometimes quite literally because she was scared not to.

But Lily was patient, and Alice promised to meet her before the end of break, whilst Rose went to her daily therapy (the only inmate to have therapy sessions every day, sometimes twice a day even).

Marlene poked Lily and cocked her head to the left, signalling that nearing them was Alice; tall, willowy and very pretty. Her face was flushed from exertion and her skin had a thin sheen of glistening sweat.

'Lily!' shouted Alice, waving her arm. 'Sorry I'm late,' she said. 'Rose wanted me to help her get fags and then we got in an argument because she knows I hate them.'

Lily waved it away and smiled warmly at her friend. 'Don't worry about it. Say, Alice, what lesson do you have after break?' she asked, knowing full well what Alice had, after spending almost a year with her and her timetable.

'Geography with that gorgeous teacher Yeats. Why?' Alice replied softly.

Lily was smart, and she came up with a viable reason for all her "snooping". 'Just wondering what your doing in Geography, and thinking whether it was the wrong choice to pick History instead.' Lily adored History, and wouldn't give it up for anything. But she needed to appear nonchalant ... casual...

'Oh, right now we're doing the most boring stuff. Writing about different climates in different countries. I mean, the last fun lesson we had was the end of last year, when we got to take pictures of different parts of the asylum.'

'So you haven't drawn maps or anything?' Lily asked curiously, biting her lip in worry. Remus has been lying to her? Why would he _lie_ to her though?!

'God no, that'd be just as boring. And I'm bollocks at drawing. Probably get an F or something.'

The redhead smiled tightly and forced a laugh to exit her mouth. 'Ha-ha, probably.'

A shrill, ringing bell noise echoed through the courtyard and collective sighs were heard; lessons were starting again. _How fun!_

As Lily stood up with Alice, she mentally reminded herself to go to Remus and ask him what the fuck he was doing. She already had an idea though. But Remus wasn't dumb enough to do it … definitely not...

He would never even attempt a break-out. What with the consequences, the difficulty … and yet she had already given him a key aspect of how to break out. The garbage chute.

_Remus is breaking out_, Lily thought hard, _and I want to be apart of it._

_xo_

Caroline snatched the last cookie from the plate and laughed when Sirius pouted. With a resigned frown, she handed it over and watched him wolf it down.

'Thank you,' he said, swallowing rather harshly.

'You're welcome.' She replied. 'Have you been using the phone box in the last two days at all?'

'Yes, I called Regulus this morning, yesterday night and at dinner time yesterday. Well, his dinner time. He was having cabbage and broccoli for dinner and begged me to come and throw them away for him.' He had a fond smile on his face whilst he talked about his younger brother. 'I want to get out, you know. Just for him. He needs me there.'

'Well,' Caroline said, 'eight more months and you will be out.'

Sirius's eyes hardened but he nodded. _Eight months my arse, _he thought. 'Is our session over? Only, that girl's been sat outside for fifteen minutes.' He asked. When Caroline nodded, he stood up and smiled at her. 'See you later this week then. Thanks for the session.'

'You're welcome Sirius. See you soon. Could you send her in by the way, if that's alright?'

He nodded and stood up, hurriedly exiting the room. Sitting on the floor outside the door, and singing under her breath, was Rose Emily Taten. She was not what Sirius expected. When he thought of Rose Taten, the only inmate to have ever killed someone, he thought of "wild" and "reckless" and "crazy". He did not think the words "pretty" and "petite" and "adorable". She was the antithesis of what he thought a murderer would be like.

She was prettier up close; a smattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose, dimples, light green eyes, tanned skin, full lips.

'Who are you?' she asked forcefully, interrupting his thoughts as she stood up to survey him with enthusiastic eyes. 'I don't remember you being here … and I would _definitely_ remember you being here...'

Sirius grinned widely at her. 'I'm new; I only came a few weeks ago. My name is Sirius Black.'

He saw the recognition flicker across her face and then she started laughing, not quietening down for at least a minute. 'It's always funnier,' she began, 'when famous parents abandon their kids here.'

'I know. I mean, they expect my privileged rich arse to spend another eight months in this shit hole? Like, what the hell are they on?'

Rose grinned. 'So, what is a rich posh boy like you doing in here?' she stepped a little closer, and licked her lips, eyes running over his again; the way his dark silky hair cascaded, the way his silver eyes twinkled...

'Overdosed on cocaine. My parents switched at me and my best friend James, who's here with us actually. Probably off flirting with one of the girls.'

'Cocaine?' she replied excitedly. 'I've never tried it. But then again, I've been in Mental Asylums for so long I've never really had much experience doing anything.'

'Well, if I can get some into Azkaban, you're the first person I'm sharing with.' He said as he winked at her. 'I'll see you around Rose Taten.'

'How d'you know my name?'

As he turned around to walk off, he sent her a flirtatious wink over his shoulder and replied softly, 'Everyone knows your name.'

_xo _

Their first lesson. Science. Biology to be exact; moreover, it was a lesson about animal behaviour. Sirius had raised his hand and answered, rather smugly, that homosexuality was animal behaviour. But then that smart prat Snape, who was obviously rather homophobic, said that just because animals practised it, didn't mean humans should; which led Sirius to call Snape a rather ugly specimen of a human and the worst example of one.

Thus leading Snape to stick a finger at Sirius.

Luckily, James restrained his best friend from hitting the ugly teenager.

Slughorn, weirdly enough, was a teacher for science, and took fifteen to sixteen year olds on for his lessons. Even though he was an extremely busy prison officer, he still made time to take some lessons.

He made sure, from what Alice had told them, that the lessons were always fun. And his favourites were the natural scientists Lily and Snape, who excelled in the subject. Only, Sirius and James excelled in the subject too, and that annoyed the other two a lot. They weren't accustomed or familiar with snotty grand public schools like Sirius and James; who were public schoolboys.

'Okay,' said Slughorn, 'let's do a practical now. I've got some maggots here-' there were squeals and shrieks that interrupted the teacher's boisterous voice. He laughed and waved them off. 'Stop being so fussy. Now, I've got some boxes here; half of it is dark and half is light. I've also put a bit of water on one dark side and one light side. I'm not going to tell you the environments maggots like, you'll have to come to that conclusion yourself and for homework, write up your observations.'

Lily muttered under her breath to Marlene that she already knew what maggots liked.

Ten minutes later and every pair had their maggots. Remus was paired with Lily, and of course, James and Sirius were together. They already knew all about maggots and decided they'd play around a little.

James let an unmanly giggle escape when Sirius threw a maggot at him and it ended up in his hair. Most of the girls were screaming 'Urgh! That's disgusting!' but the boys didn't care. This had to be the most fun they'd had in weeks. Since the cocaine incident even.

'I dare you to eat it,' Remus said, propping his chin on his crossed arms on their table.

'That's vile.' Lily hissed. 'It's an innocent animal. It's not fair that we watch them and throw them and dare each other to eat them.'

She sent a pointed look at James, who sent her a cute smile and melted her heart. She faltered and stopped talking. But all thoughts in her mind were dismissed, because Sirius just ate the maggot, live.

'YOU'RE DISGUSTING!' the other three cried. Luckily no one else saw, because Sirius was sure he wouldn't have received a very kind reaction if others did in fact witness his sadistic consumption of the poor, innocent maggot.

He winked impishly at them and turned back to his maggots. They'd all fled to the moist, dark part, and of course, they liked those conditions, but Sirius also thought maybe it was because they were scared of him.

He liked when people were scared of him. His parents seemed just a little bit more intimidated when they talked to him, looked at him or interacted in any way possible, ever since he hit his father back. He liked it.

Lily and James were talking in hushed tones on the other side of the desk, oblivious to anything else going on.

'D'you want us to come to your room then?' James said a little worriedly; what did she want to talk to him about. The way she said it … like she knew something they didn't know. Or rather, she knew something they didn't want her to know.

'No, I'll come to yours. Make sure Sirius is there, yeah?' She told him softly, playing with her bright red hair and curling the ends. They didn't notice Peter, sitting a desk in front listening intently to every word. He was always listening, and he was never noticed. Peter was good at not being noticed. Like he was invisible.

Meanwhile, Sirius was throwing maggots at the pretty group of girls at the other side of the room when Slughorn wasn't looking. They were shrieking and ducking away, and Sirius laughed cockily to himself. It was fun being him.

He ducked when Marlene, being the tough girl she was, threw a bunch of maggots at him. Sirius didn't mind them so much; their life span was what, a week? A week and a half at most? Their lives didn't matter to him, as much as his parents' lives mattered to him. Hence him eating one of the maggots.

Then, Snape, sitting on the opposite side of the room, snatched Sirius's usually vague-and-easily-distractable attention. He had a lazy sort of arrogance, when in reality, he didn't have much to be haughty or arrogant about. Apart from his fighting skills, which Sirius couldn't deny, were good.

He walked over to Alice, kissed her briefly on the cheek, and took some of her maggots, consequently having killed or thrown all of his across the classroom. Sirius picked his target, held the maggots at the very tips of his fingers, and threw them. With the aim of a true rugby player, he watched as they soared through the air and landed one by one on Snape's head.

James saw this and began to laugh, pointing at Snape, who was still ignorant to this three maggots wriggling in his hair. Sharing a mischievous glance, the boys both decided to stay as covert as they could about the situation.

'Let's see how long until he notices,' mouthed the bespectacled teenager. His friend giggled.

'Alright class,' Slughorn called out, seizing their attention and clapping his hands roughly together. 'Pack away, bring the maggots back, I want all of them, and write your homework from the board. Just a few paragraphs about what you saw and why you think you saw it. Due this time next week.'

Then he picked up a list and said in a monotonous voice, as though he was used to it, 'Alice-'

'Yes, I know. Need to go and take my medication after.' She interrupted, grinning at him.

Slughorn winked at her in answer, before saying loudly, 'Julius-'

'I know sir.'

'And James. Straight after lesson, just pop to your therapists, get your medicine and you can go to lunch afterwards. Alright class, you're dismissed.' The bell sounded as he spoke, and Slughorn smiled at them, wishing them a good day.

'What's after lunch?' James asked Remus, who was already pulling off his top and fanning his face. It was blisteringly hot; like the sun had decided to move a few hundred kilometres closer and scorch them all.

'Assembly, then P.E., and then English.' He told them. 'They'll have set out P.E. kits for you inside the changing rooms.'

Sirius nodded, distracted by Rose Taten, walking past with Greyback escorting her. They seemed a little too friendly, like they genuinely liked each other. But after all the punishments Rose had been through and the length of time she'd spent in Azkaban, it was no wonder she made friends with the Head of Punishment. Remus, after a second, caught Greyback's eye, flinched and looked away. He couldn't stand the man. Couldn't stand him at all.

'Wanna go have a fag whilst we wait for James?' Sirius asked. James was quite literally running after Lily, and they were speaking in hushed tones.

Remus nodded. They were in the courtyard now, and Sirius saw, with a pleasant jolt, that the only prison officer patrolling and watching out was Benjy Fenwick. Sexy Benjy, adorable Benjy, great-kisser Benjy.

He saw Sirius and nodded at him, a seductive smile spreading across his face. Shyly smiling back, Sirius led the way to a corner where him and Remus could smoke. They lit their fags and took their drags, chatting about this and that. Until Remus dropped the bombshell.

'Sirius, we need to come up with a plan now. The longer we wait, the harder it's going to be. The longer we wait, the bigger chance of people finding out!'

'I know Remus. But … it's harder than I thought it'd be. We have a potential route. But they check our rooms periodically every hour. That means we have an hour to break out and get as far away as possible. I haven't even been able to speak to anyone outside here. All the numbers of friends are on my phone. Same for James. That means that we have _no means _of travel.'

The blond haired teenager threw the butt of his fag and shrugged. 'Try and get your brother to smuggle in your phone then.'

'I can't … I …' Sirius's eyes lit up, radiant and bright now. 'Oh, you're brilliant! Yes, yes! I could get Regulus to bring it in. They don't ever search him, oh you're-' then he kissed Remus's forehead and tossed his fag.

'I know it's a little risky. But your parents pay a lot for Azkaban, so you get your own room, right, for when they come?' He asked carefully.

'Yeah, somewhere to chat with them for a bit, away from those prying eyes. Apart from when I'm being dropped off or picked up from them. But Remus … what's the penalty for having a mobile phone in Azkaban?'

Remus chewed his lip, and looked a little guilty. 'Well, three weeks in Isolation.'

'Fuck,' breathed the other. Then he shook his head. 'It doesn't matter. I'll get the phone. By next week, I promise.'

They left the little alcove corner, and saw James searching almost blindly for them, when he located them and waved. 'Come on guys. Lily wants to talk to us. You're not hungry, are you?'

Remus's mouth fell open. Shit! Shit! She didn't know … did she? Of course she did! Why else would she want to talk to them...

'We can get something after your girlfriend talks to us. What is it about?' Sirius asked, falling into step with James, their elbows brushing; sending relief and a sense of security through their bodies.

'I don't know.' The bespectacled teenager answered, chewing his lip. 'Let's go and find out though.'

The walk to Sirius's room was very slow, almost like they were trying to take as much time as possible to get there. They didn't really want to see Lily, if she was the bearer of bad news. And it was most certain that she was.

Finally, they were before Sirius's room. He opened the door, and Lily was already there, looking around wondrously. 'I've never been in a boy's room here before. They're a little smaller. Well, the bathrooms are.'

Remus laughed a little nervously. 'You already told me that.'

'Okay.' Lily said. 'Shall I get straight to the point then?'

Sirius sat down near her and nodded. 'Yes, that would be best. We've got a busy schedule, you see.'

'Doing what?' she asked, though it seemed like she already knew the answer.

Sirius winked at her impishly and shook his head. 'Can't tell you, m'lady. Sorry.'

'It's alright. You don't need to tell me. I think I can guess. You see, Remus was drawing something in the library the other day. I asked him what and he said it was for a Geography project, they were doing cartography and he was drawing a map of Azkaban's grounds. He was bollocking up the Girls' Wing so I fixed it for him. Only, today, I asked Alice if they are doing cartography in Geography. She said they aren't doing it. Then I started wondering what could Remus possibly want with a map of Azkaban.'

Lily flicked her hair back and ignored the stunned and apprehensive expressions carved in the teenagers faces. Sirius was running an agitated hand roughly through his hair; James's mouth was slack open and Remus was pale, like paper. A feat not easy for someone so naturally tanned.

'It only took me a few seconds realise he's trying to get out of Azkaban. Not study it. And then I thought, "well, who could make Remus think of such a thing?" because I know Remus, and he's not the type to come up with such a wild, crazy idea. Almost immediately, you two came to mind.' She nodded at James and Sirius dismissively.

'So, what I'm trying to say is I know you're going to break out, or rather, you're going to try. My parents haven't got the money to pay the fines if I'm caught. But then again, I don't have parents. My mum's dead and my dad is in prison. So there's no one to pay really. Prison doesn't worry me. I mean, I'm probably going to graduate after Azkaban to a higher facility Mental Asylum.'

Sirius's voice was hoarse when he asked her, 'What are you trying to say, Evans?'

Lily smiled a little nervously at him. 'I'm trying to say let me join you! I know everything there is to know about the Girls' Wing; moreover, you'll need someone in there to help you through the rubbish chute and to the gates. I'm that someone.'

'What if we say no?' replied Sirius.

'Slughorn loves me. He'll believe me. All I have to say is who and what, and your plan is outed quicker than you can say "sorry".'

The three teenagers gulped simultaneously and said to her, in unison, 'Okay.'

'Okay?' Lily tried not to squeal.

'Okay.' James answered. He took her hand and nodded. 'Okay.'

_xo _

He was always there, always listening. He did, after all, share a room with the silver eyed teenager. It wasn't hard. The wardrobe was more than big enough to accommodate Peter, and comfortably so, even.

Peter heard every single ruddy word.

They were breaking out.

He turned off his tape recorder, thanking the heavens that he had brought it, just in case, and tucked it into his pocket.

They were breaking out. And he'd be damned if they left him behind.

* * *

**A/N:** Please review!

Tell me what you think of Lily and Peter knowing.


	14. Rat

**A/N: **This chapter was of course, like this story, inspired by Prison Break. I love that show, but sadly, I hate the last two seasons. I mean, after they break out of prison and are on the run for a bit, what's the point of carrying the show on?

Anyway, enjoy xxx

* * *

_xoxo_

_14. Rat_

Lily looked at James's hand over her own, holding it tightly but at the same time, gently. He really was quite the catch. She looked from their hands slowly up to his handsome face and broke into a smile.

'Really?' she whispered excitedly. Then she laughed and threw her arms around James, hugging him tightly. When she was about to release him, his arms came up around her to cradle her..

'Yes. You're in, alright.' Sirius snapped, not too lightly. Then he shook his head. 'You can't tell anyone though Lily. The more people involved, the bigger chance there is of people finding out ... oh, for fuck's sake,' he hissed, because now Lily and James weren't only hugging, they were kissing too, rather enthusiastically, might Sirius add. He looked a little suggestively at Remus who pushed him on the shoulder and said, none too lightly, 'Fuck off.'

Sirius grinned. 'Sometimes, the mood just strikes. Don't you want even a small little kiss?'

'I'll repeat myself again, fuck _off_.'

Then there was silence, filled only with the sounds of kissing and panting. You see, the thing about silence was it offered the participants of silence, or rather, the people who were consumed in the silence, to hear things more clearly. It was in that moment that Sirius heard the gentle sounds of moving and shuffling; sounds that clearly weren't coming from the three people he was with.

Who else would be in his room? Apart from himself and his three friends of course...

He didn't wait a single moment. Sirius roared something unintelligible, and leapt across the room to Peter's wardrobe. He wrenched it open. Within the assortment of Azkaban uniform; you know, the grey and the white, the underwear and the socks, sat Peter Pettigrew. He stared for a moment. Not at Peter but at the device in his hands, the device that was flickering a red light and showing _thirteen minutes _on the tiny screen.

He'd been recording for thirteen minutes.

'Peter,' whispered Sirius, 'what are you doing?'

'You either let me come,' breathed Peter, flashing the recording device, 'or I show everyone this little recording and get you all put in Isolation for the rest of your stay.'

_xo_

Emmeline and Kingsley had been going out for at least two years know. They were a very cute couple, and the complete opposites. Emmeline was half Creole, half English. Kingsley was Jamaican. Emmeline was short, and Kingsley was _very _tall. They were both top-grade students and from relatively rich families. To put it plainly, they were very similar yet quite different at the same time. For example, Kingsley didn't condone drug-taking or smoking at all whereas Emmeline lived around it and even took part in it occasionally.

They had quite the similar interests. And they had a similar social group, despite both going to separate public schools with only one sex and rich pompous gits around. They were in the cinema right now, well, just coming out actually.

'Have you heard from Sirius or James recently?' Emmeline asked, fighting not to laugh. She still found it so funny. Of _course _they'd get busted for cocaine. It was so ... so _them. _Such rich, privileged boys dabbling in the more serious of drugs. Like they had problems at home, well, rather, James didn't really have problems. And Sirius didn't have the sort of problems other people went through; he didn't have the conventional sort of problems. Where he was worried about his next meal or the next place to stay. No, his problems were more of the psychological sort. The emotional negligence from his parents, the teasing from other family members, the tight restricting control they would exercise over him.

That didn't mean that his problems didn't matter, just that they weren't of the same severity as other teenagers facing dilemmas. Or so Emmeline had thought until she recently learned that Sirius had gotten in a fight with someone in his family, a very severe fight from what she'd seen in the press-leaked pictures. She hoped he was alright. She'd always liked Sirius. Perhaps a little bit more than Kingsley would have been comfortable with, but then again, she'd known James and Sirius since she was a baby. They were some of her best friends.

'No, I haven't. They're probably fine though, you know James, he watches Sirius's back more than he watches his own. He'll take care of the both of them.' Despite Kingsley saying this, he bit his lip and furrowed his brow.

'I'm sure they'll be fine,' she agreed readily. 'I can't wait for them to tell me what is was like in Azkaban. You know, the other day, I came home, a little doped up I must admit, and my mum threatened to send me there if I keep coming home like this. So I've decided not to come home at all if I'm high.'

Kingsley grinned at her. 'I hope she does send you there,' he said, bending to place a kiss on her forehead. 'You need to stop this, really. I don't want you getting hurt.' He said it so softly, so sweetly, her cheeks turned a little pink.

Emmeline elbowed him but leaned up anyway and placed a soft peck on his cheek. 'Don't worry. I won't get hurt. And I know if I do, you'll kill whoever hurt me and then probably end up killing me too.'

He laughed. 'Probably. Come on then, I'm hungry.'

'Me too.' She said, taking his hand and dragging him with her.

_xo_

The other three were in shock, only Sirius was doing anything, and even then, he wasn't fast enough. He watched as Peter pulled out the memory card and, just as Sirius managed to floor the bastard, he swallowed it. Actually swallowed it.

'_YOU FAT UGLY LITTLE PRICK! I'LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU-'_ Sirius was shouting, punching and kicking Peter. 'Spit it out! Spit it out!' he roared, punch after punch landing on Peter's rotund body; his legs, stomach, chest, even his face. Blood squirted from the blond haired teenager's lip but Sirius didn't care, he carried on pummelling him until he was pulled off.

Remus restrained Sirius whilst James looked down at the bleeding, whimpering boy. He really was pathetic. 'You're going to vomit, shit or spit it out, any one of them, _right _now Peter, or we'll let Sirius go and he'll _force _you to vomit it out-'

'I can't.' Peter whispered. 'Now, I can scream for help as loud as I can and someone can come here, in which I'll explain everything to them. Or ... or you let me join in-'

'Fuck no!' shouted James. 'Over my dead body, you little shit.' Sirius was burying his face in his hands, whilst Remus draped his hands over the long-haired boy's shoulders, keeping him still.

'I knew you were rotten, I knew we couldn't trust you.'

'But I can help!' Peter cried indignantly, flashing the voice recorder at them. 'How do you think I got this? I stole it from Warden Dumbledore's office. And _no one _can get in there apart from him. I can help, I promise! Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I can get it. I promise.' Peter wiped the blood from his lip and worriedly chanced a glance at Sirius, who was watching him with such hatred and dislike, Peter even shivered just a little.

James released Lily's hand and went over to where Sirius and Remus stood in the corner of the room. He whispered something to the part-Italian and watched as Remus crossed the room and stood in front of the door, like a guard. They were whispering heatedly at each other, where Sirius was furiously shaking his head and flexing his arms and fists; and James was nodding and placing his hands on his brother's shoulders.

'... have to, Padfoot, I'm sorry...'

'... ruin everything, we can't, he'll undermine the whole fucking plan James, mate...'

'What else can we do?' asked James. Then he laughed and shook his head. 'Apart from that. Because I know we can break out of here, but out of prison? Not a chance, and as much as I love you Sirius, I'm not sure if I'm willing to go to prison for like fifteen years or something.'

There was chuckling, then swearing. 'I'll speak to you about this later James.'

'But for now?'

'Yes, for _fuck's sake _yes. We can't do anything now, can we? Apart from learn from our mistakes.' Sirius replied quietly, then he sat down on his bed and stared resolutely at his nails. James paused, stared at his friend for a while and then turned to Peter, on the floor, still snivelling and weeping.

He opened and closed his mouth several times, hesitating at what to say. 'Alright Peter.'

'A-alright?'

'Yes, you can come. But could you get out please?' They all watched in amusement as Peter ran as fast as he could, barging past Remus and running out of the room.

Sirius rubbed his forehead and ran a hand through his hair. 'We could have forced him to vomit it out. A few punches here and there, and he'd have been retching all over the floor.' He looked up when his best friend sat beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'We'll use him. Get everything we need, because you can't deny it Sirius, he can get things none of us can, and when we're done, we break out. We'll give him false details. He'll get pissed off when he wakes up and the whole asylum are looking for us. He doesn't have to come.'

_Somehow, _Sirius thought, _I don't think that'll work. _He nodded anyway.

_xo_

Rose Taten, despite her quietness, was still the talk of Azkaban. Everyone anticipated her next move. After all, she was the craziest and most violent of the inmates. She'd killed someone for goodness sake. She was someone to watch out for. On top of that, Rose Taten was a rather unpredictable character. One minute, she'd be all nice and kind and the next, through something or other, she'd switch and start beating everyone up.

But the thing about Taten was _all the staff _liked her. Or rather, they were weary of her and somehow that weariness turned them into lenient, kind people when they were with her. If she was hungry at two in the morning, all she needed to do was ask Greyback really nicely and he'd run off and order her some pizza. She stayed at his room more than she stayed in her own room.

And if Rose was honest, they didn't only eat pizza in his quarters. Sometimes, if she was good, they'd play around. In other words, they had sex. An awful lot as of late. Rose thought that maybe if she wasn't around, he'd be a lot meaner. He had a wife and everything but his wife was foul. She shouted and swore a lot, from what Rose heard about her. And she wasn't that good in bed apparently.

The two new inmates were interesting her a lot though. They were both very handsome and rich, as well as charming and already incredibly popular. They were smart too apparently. She couldn't wait to have a proper conversation with them. They seemed ... cool. Yeah, cool. That was the right word. Like they'd seen too much and heard everything there was worth hearing. Come on, they got busted for _cocaine._

But Rose Taten did have to admit one thing; they intimidated her - and Rose Taten was not someone who got intimidated. She sat down on her own table and exchanged a smile with Benjy Fenwick, the absolutely adorable officer, who winked at her. Too bad he was gay, but then again, she wasn't completely sure; still, she wouldn't mind banging him. If she wasn't with Fenrir of course.

Rose wanted to tell Fenrir that she was sort of in love with him, but she was too scared to. What if he said he didn't care? What if he stopped being with her? What if he chose his wife instead of her, just because it was what everyone expected of him?

Cracking open her can of coke, Rose took a sip and tucked into her lasagne. As she ate, she looked up at the group of people walking into the dining hall. The two new inmates, cute Remus and that stuck up _bitch _Evans. Rose really hoped Evans wasn't romantically involved with any of them, but then she saw the bespectacled inmate take her hand and kiss her head. She bared her teeth, looked away, and ate with more vigour and anger than before.

_xo_

'We need you to call Regulus, Padfoot,' said James, eating the lasagne with lazy nonchalance.

'To get him to bring my phone?' Sirius guessed.

'To get him to bring your phone, yes.' James said.

'Why do we need your phone, Sirius?' asked Lily, looking at each boy with an expression of confusion. The thing about Lily Evans was she did not like to be confused, not at all.

'We need it because I have contacts on my phone that can help us get out.' He said, grinning at her, his first true smile since discovering Peter hiding in the wardrobe.

'Oh.' Then she smiled. 'This is really happening, isn't it?'

All three boys looked at her and smiled widely. 'Yes. Yes it is.'

* * *

**A/N: **Please review! I promise the next chapter will be longer. Because guess what's happening in the next chapter? Let's just say, a certain someone gets their phone back.

Thanks, and remember to review! xxx


	15. Reunion

**A/N: **I'm so sorry that this has taken ages to update, and I don't think it's as good as it usually is because the past few chapters have had to be filler chapters to slowly prepare myself more than anyone for what else I'm going to write before the breakout.

I do hope you, if not enjoy, then at least are satisfied with this update. On another note, I hope you've had a spectacular past few weeks and everything is going well for all of you.

Thanks!

* * *

_xoxo_

_15. Reunion_

Sirius walked across the courtyard, smiling at some and waving at others. It was lunch, and History has just ended. Flitwick wasn't the most exciting teacher, but he was good and blunt and knew everything about history, or rather, all the history worth knowing, mainly meaning the western world and its history. _Racist cunt._ Sirius thought the western world's history was no where near as interesting as Africa's history for example; the great empire of Mali, the Ancient Egyptians and their concepts of longitude and latitude. But living in Britain, he knew he'd only ever learn British white history, and he had to accept that for now.

When he got to the phone booth, he was surprised to see James attached to it, on the floor with the cord wrapped around his hand and the other holding the receiver as he laughed and joked with his favourite little brother.

'Yes,' James said, 'She's one of the most incredible people I have ever met. She's beautiful and sweet and kind.'

_'Bootiful?'_ asked Regulus.

'Very,' confirmed James. 'She has red hair and green eyes. I don't know if we're going out officially or whatever, at least, Lily said it was a little dangerous for me. There are some guys that fancy her too you see.'

_'Because she's bootiful?'_ Regulus replied.

'Yes. They're all jealous you see. That I've gotten the hot bird and they've got nothing but their hands.'

_'Their hands? Well we all have hands, don't we-'_

James started laughing when he was kicked lightly by Sirius, 'Stop trying to corrupt my brother. He's going to grow up and go Oxford or Cambridge. Not listen to us talk about wanking and stuff. Now, pass the phone.'

'Alright Reg, my love, your brother wants you. It must be something important, he's awfully excited to talk to you.'

Sirius took the phone from James before he could say goodbye and sighed into it when he heard his brother's excited babble. 'Hey Reg,' he said softly.

_'Sirius! Oh, I miss you.'_

'Miss you too,' he answered, falling onto the floor beside James and grinning widely. He grinned whenever he heard his brother's voice. It was like a beacon of hope, lighting him up and giving him faith that everything would be alright. It had to all be alright … _right?_

'How's school?' he asked his little brother.

_'It's good, I was the first to finish my book you know!'_

Sirius laughed, and ignored James's ear on the other side of the handset ear piece. Only James could get away with invading his personal space so rudely and unabashedly. 'What was it about?' he asked.

Regulus cleared his throat and launched into explaining the story, speaking a bit louder and more confidently now. _'Well,'_ he began, '_it's about this magic park where everything that goes there disappears. Matthew and Magda have to go and look for the bracelet they lost and they make loads of friends along the way who help them find it. They finded it in the end and they live happily ever after!'_

'Found, Regulus, not finded. Anyway, that sounds really interesting. I'm very jealous. I wish I got a chance to read a book like that.' Sirius grinned when James elbowed him teasingly.

_'I wish I was Matthew. He gets to ride a magical animal, I forgot what though.'_

Sirius shook his head. He remembered being young and believing in magic. 'Magic isn't real Regulus,' he said, shaking his head but smiling despite himself. 'Anyway, I need you to do something for me Reg mate.'

_'Yes,'_ the young boy said cautiously.

'I need you to help me. You see, everyone here has mobile phones but I left mine at home. You remember how I always leave it in my room or your room, I'd love it if you could find it for me.'

Sirius could almost imagine his brother nodding vigorously. _'Yes Sirius.'_

'Sweet, thanks babe. But could you do me another favour?'

_'Yes Sirius.'_

The elder brother had to restrain laughing. His brother was so obedient, so amazing. Hence why he loved Regulus with every fibre of his being. 'Ask Andromeda to come over and take you here to visit me with my phone. Tell her, and only her Regulus, no one else, that I need it. I don't want you visiting ever again if you tell mother and father Regulus, because I'll be very mad at you-'

_'I won't! I won't tell mummy or daddy. I promise. You know I won't!'_ The little's voice trembled with desperation and forcefulness.

'I know Regulus, I trust you. Don't even mention it to Kreacher though, alright.' When he heard an eager_ 'Yes!'_ he began to explain, in more detail and a tad slower, the plan to his little brother.

'Got it?'

_'I got it Sirius!'_ Regulus answered in that high little voice of his.

The elder brother felt his body slump in relief and he sighed. 'Well done Regulus. Now, are mummy and daddy around?'

_'No they went out.'_

It was like the fates were on Sirius's side. Like they wanted him to get his phone back. He and James exchanged grins. 'Do you think you could start looking for my phone now. I honestly can't remember where I left it,' Sirius directed the last sentence to James, 'I was too coked up the last time I saw it.'

James laughed. 'You mean you were too busy OD'ing … ow!' he flinched when Sirius punched him and held up his fist again threateningly.

'Remember, it's somewhere in either in your room or my room.'

_'If I find it, can I play games please!'_

'I don't think there will be any battery but you're a smart boy aren't you? You remember how to plug it into the charger next to my bed, don't you?'

_'Yes!'_ a young, determined voice screamed.

'Good boy,' Sirius said, beaming at James and flashing the thumbs up.

_'I'll look for it now Sirius.'_ Regulus said.

'Alright, I'll call you later Reggie, if I can.' Sirius said. Then he sighed once more. It was always hard saying goodbye to his brother. He missed Regulus more than anything; more than expensive meals and a comfortable queen size bed all to himself, and whatever lucky bint got there first usually.

_'I promise I'll get it Sirius. I promise!'_ Regulus cried.

Smiling, the elder brother replied, 'I know you will. I trust you. I'll speak to you soon Reg, love you.'

_'Love you too._' Then the phone went dead and Sirius placed it back in its holder, standing up and brushing dirt off his trousers.

James was eating a sandwich, Remus beside him with gifts of food. On the other side of James stood Lily, who, like Remus, seemed to have just come over. She sat down and shared a secret smile with James. Whatever was going on between them was tentative, careful and still balancing on shaky waters.

It didn't mean that what they shared wasn't sweet though.

'He's so cute, too cute. He sounded like he was going to cry when I said to him bye to him. He's going to do it. He knows my phone just as good as I do.'

James nodded. 'Why d'you want Andy to bring him here?'

'If my parents brought him James, do you really think they'd let Reg give me the phone? No, Andromeda won't say anything. Mother and father on the other hand will have a lot to say about my phone.'

The bespectacled teenager nodded, 'Alright, yeah that makes sense.'

Sirius caught the apple thrown at him deftly and took a large bite. With his mouth full, he said, 'We'll have my mobile in _no_ time.'

_xo_

Rose's primary mentor and therapist was of course, none other than the head of inmate punishments, Fenrir Greyback. Or Grey as Rose preferred to call him. Their names went together very well, and she got butterflies when she thought of him leaving his wife and marrying her.

_Rose Greyback._

It sounded nice, when she thought hard about it. She was sitting on his sofa, because they had their own quarters with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and lounge. Her eyes were glued to the large TV, and she watched the old rerun of Friends, grinning at the jokes. She looked up when the door opened and saw the pizza Greyback was bringing to her. He also had a bottle of coke and some garlic bread.

He placed the food on the small coffee table between the television and the sofa, and sighed. 'Dinner,' he said.

Greyback was a handsome man, but not in an obvious traditional way. He had tattoos peeping out of the collar and sleeves of his uniform, and he had an earring. His hair wasn't particularly short, but was long enough for Rose to run her fingers through it. His skin had a light tan from the holiday he went on for two weeks to Cyprus with his _wife._

Rose cuddled up to the officer and looked at him with dancing, mischievous eyes. 'Thank you Grey.'

He ruffled her hair and smiled at her. 'I don't have a night shift tonight,' he said sadly. 'So you can't stay over. I have the _Mrs_,' he said the last word scathingly, 'to get home too.'

Rose was already munching on a garlic bread and opening the pizza box. Half chicken, half vegetables. _Just the way she liked it._ She stood up and stretched, dressed in nothing but underwear and a bra, then finished the last remnants of garlic bread and went into the kitchen. It was a dump. And it was her turn to clean up. But maybe if she did that thing Grey loved, she could persuade him to help her.

She grabbed two glasses and made her way back to the lounge, cuddling back into that small little hole Grey always left for her between his outstretched arm and his side. He kissed her forehead and poured them both drinks, and they ate their dinner together.

Rose grew curious very quickly, and asked the question that had been dancing on her tongue (though the unpleasant tingling of her tongue could have been down to the jalapenos she was eating) for the best part of an hour. 'Who are those two new boys?' she asked, trying to appear nonchalant and uncaring. Despite this, her heart beat furiously and she was chewing his bottom lip.

Rose could feel Grey's eyes boring into the side of her face; she turned and smiled widely. His answer seemed almost reluctant; like he didn't want to tell her. 'They transferred because Black, the one with long hair, overdosed on cocaine.' The blond girl refrained from telling Grey she knew all about their little cocaine expedition, but it was hard because she really wanted him to tell her something she didn't know.

'Really?' she said, maintaining her cool and shaking her head. 'Idiots.' She said before laughing. 'But I don't really have any input in whether they're idiots or not, considering I did kill my dad.'

Fenrir Greyback reeled; he didn't like hearing about her reason for being in Azkaban at all. He took Rose's face in his hands and kissed her gently. 'You shouldn't talk so casually about why you're here.'

She melted into the kiss and grinned widely when he freed her face from his grip. 'But it's the truth. I shouldn't hide why I'm here. I should embrace is, as that annoying crackpot Pomphrey tells me on a daily basis.'

Grey shook his head but did manage a smile. 'You really should stay away from them though Rose. They're trouble, and not the kind that'll get you in Iso for a week or two. They're the kind that'll warrant your removal from Azkaban and your placement in a much more horrible asylum, Rose. You've heard of _Nurmengard_ and that shit they do to inmates!'

She placed her finger over his lips. 'It's fine. I'm not going to be talking to any of them. They look like trouble Grey, and you know how much I _hate_ trouble.'

He swatted her behind when she stood up and stretched, clearing the table and throwing the closest pillow (used as foot rests) at him. Greyback arranged it carefully and then patted the space next to him, which she all but threw herself into. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, smiling when she sighed.

He wouldn't tell her this, because it was much more than they'd both bargained for when they started this relationship, but he was so in love with her. Each time he had to sleep next to his wife, have sex with her, wake up next to her - he'd compare it to each night and day with Rose Taten.

Although he regretted heavily ever getting involved with her, now that he had her, he knew he would never change it if he had the chance. 'You know,' Rose said, as if she knew what he was thinking, 'we could up and leave if you wanted. You have enough money saved to start us off; we could go to Ireland or France and just live there. We could have a little cottage in the countryside and-' her smile slipped off her face and she was frowning now. 'And it's never going to happen, because you love your job too much and I'm only sixteen.'

Fenrir wasn't as old as he seemed sometimes; he was thirty four. But the point was, he would never been allowed to be with Rose romantically. And that was what he wanted _most._

He leaned forward when she reached up to kiss him; winding her small hands in his hair and throwing her heart and soul into the deep yearning liplock. Within seconds, it grew very heated very quickly and soon, Grey was helping her take the remainder of her clothes off and was himself ripping his shirt and trousers harshly from his body and casting them aside.

Pretty soon, the only sound vibrating around them was the gentle knocking of the sofa against the wall and Rose's pants and moans. She looked so small and cute beneath him, not like the fiery gorgeous girl she could sometimes be when she was in control.

The problem was though that Rose wasn't in control. She was shy and very vulnerable right now. Their lips met again in a furious battle, as beads of sweat dripped and dripped. She gazed at him with love and care when he came inside her, and fell asleep shortly afterwards, despite what he had said earlier.

Looking down at her though, Greyback found that he really didn't care. Because he loved her and he loved being with her. And he would do anything for her, absolutely _anything._

_xo_

'You've got it?' Sirius cried, excitement and triumph literally bursting out of him. He grinned widely and nodded at James, who high-fived him.

_'Yes, I've got it. I told you! I said I was gonna get it! And I got it Sirius!'_

He resisted the urge to punch the air, dance around a street lamp (where would they get a street lamp from anyway?) and kiss James smack on the mouth, just because it would infuriate his best friend. 'I love you so much Regulus, you're such a good boy. I love you so so much.'

_'I said I would get it and I got it didn't I?'_

Sirius grinned. 'You did-'

He stopped talking when he heard the phone transfer from Regulus to someone else. It was-

'Andy.' He said, panting. Fate was with them. How else could he describe it? Everything was working for him, going his way, everything! What were the chances that he would call his brother when Andromeda was visiting her aunt and uncle and little cousin? The chances were very slim.

_'Sirius,'_ she said in a low voice, _'Your little brother told me what you want to do and what you want us to do. I'm in.'_

He released the breath he'd been holding in. With a flutter of his eyelids, Sirius buried his face in his hand and said, 'You're going to help me and James?'

_'I'm going to help you and Jamie. Why wouldn't I help my favourite cousins? Besides, I never agreed with you guys being locked in Azkaban anyway.'_

Sirius panted and mouthed to James, 'She's going to help!' The bespectacled teenager took the phone and said into the speaker, 'Andy? Andy, it's James. You're going to help us? You're really going to do this?'

_'I'm really going to do this,'_ her laughter filled the speaker; gentle, soft and most certainly not forced like most laughs generated in the Black homes were.

'Fuck, you're amazing. Alright, can you get Regulus to bring the phone, they won't search him.'

_'Yes,'_ she said, _'I'll come tomorrow, first thing. I just have to persuade your parents to let me take Regulus.'_

'I'll see you tomorrow then!' James said. He placed the phone back in its holder and exchanged excited glances with Sirius.

'It's gonna happen. We're gonna get the phone tomorrow. We'll call Kingsley, Emme and a few others,' said Sirius.

'I hope they request to see the both of us.'

'Me too,' said Sirius. 'You haven't seen Regulus in ages.' He looked up when he spotted Lily and Remus nearing them and he waved them over, his smile morphing into a grin.

'I take it everything's worked out? They're coming?' Remus said as soon as he was close enough to them. Sirius threw an arm around his shoulders and bashfully kissed his friend's cheek.

'Yes,' he replied. 'They're coming tomorrow.'

'Shit,' whispered Lily, 'tomorrow. Well then, we better go and plan.'

The three boys groaned in unison and turned to look at the female presence of the group. 'Really? Now? I'm tired, and Remus has some weed man! We're off to smoke it.'

'No you're not,' said Lily, looping her arm with Sirius's and James's. 'We're going to plan this properly, because I'm not doing another sentence and I'm definitely not going to prison if this doesn't work out. So it has to work out and the only way it will is if we work hard.'

She dragged the two posh boys with her, leaving Remus with no choice but to follow nonchalantly behind. They didn't notice Peter watching them nervously from the other end of the courtyard. He bit his nails and flicked the mop of blond hair from his forehead every so often, a plan building ever so gradually in his head.

_xo_

Lily was surrounded by boys who were smoking weed and she was slightly repulsed. How could they dumb themselves down by smoking weed? Didn't it make you dumb? Isn't that what the media and teachers had been telling her since she was a kid?

'You've been eyeing my joint for at least ten minutes Evans. D'you wanna try it?' Sirius said, handing it out to her. She flinched and moved away, closer to James, almost subconsciously.

'No!' she shouted.

'Really?' replied Sirius, raising his eyebrow. 'Not even one toke?'

'No.' Lily repeated, this time a little more forcefully. 'Maybe if we ever successfully break out and we're all together then yes, but for now we have too much to do to even contemplate getting stoned.'

'Fair enough,' said Sirius. He inhaled once more just as the door burst open and in hurried Peter, a nervous and extremely angry expression on his face.

'I've told my cousin Tommy who lives in Harlseden that if I don't call him ten minutes before we break out and ten minutes afterwards, he should alert the police and Azkaban to your break out. If you're planning on feeding me false dates and false facts, he'll know about it and Warden Dumbledore will know about it faster than you can say sorry.'

They all looked at him with stoned (and in Lily's case, lightheaded) bewilderment. Remus was the first to jerk awake into reality because it seemed almost untrue that the shy Peter had done such a wild, brave thing. Peter would _never _have the guts to do such a thing.. 'You fool,' he whispered, 'you fucking idiot!' he shouted this time, throwing his joint to the floor and making his sluggish way towards Peter, ready to pummel the boy.

Peter backed away. 'Yo-you can't do this without me. You can't g-get what you need to break into the pa-passage from the Girls' Wing to the o-opening at the front of the gates without me, and you certainly can't g-get the swipe cards and fingerprints to open th-the gates without me too.' Peter's face split into one of utter desperation. 'Pl-please,' he stuttered, 'just include me.'

James stood up slowly, standing before Remus and patting his friend reassuringly on the arm. He opened and closed his mouth several times before biting his lip and finally deciding what to say. 'Fine. We'll tell you the plan. But you're on your own as soon as we're past those gates. You're not going to travel with us and you're not going away from this area with us, got it?'

The mousy-haired boy nodded hurriedly. 'Yes.' He breathed.

'Good.' James replied before turning sharply from the boy, taking his joint from the makeshift ashtray and throwing an arm over Lily's shoulders. He placed the joint between his lips, fixed Peter with a icy glare before looking away.

_xo_

Andromeda had requested to see Sirius and James together, and used her strong manipulative personality to persuade Greyback to consent. Despite the asylum being Dumbledore's, Greyback ran it when the Warden wasn't there, which was often.

She waited patiently for Sirius and James in the monitored room. If there weren't prison officers, then there were always cameras and microphones. It was a medium room with only one camera in the corner as well as chairs and a table on the other side of the room. Regulus sat on her lap and kept a hand pressed firmly to the bulge in his pocket where Sirius's phone was concealed in a wallet.

The doors opened and in entered two officers escorting the two teenage boys. Sirius and James grinned widely at Andromeda and Regulus, who was now squealing in excitement. They didn't immediately make their way to their cousin and brother though. Instead they moved away from each other, spread their arms and legs and waited to get patted down and searched. It seemed like the officers were satisfied, because Slughorn patted James on the shoulder and Benjy nodded to Sirius once, winking discreetly.

As soon as Sirius was free, he swept his brother off the ground (Regulus had eagerly jumped off Andromeda's lap). They embraced and Sirius kissed his brother all over the face. 'Fuck Reg, I missed you so much.'

'Stop hogging him, I haven't seen him in months-'

'JAMIE!' shouted Regulus, transferring from one brother to another. He squeezed James particularly hard and grinned. 'I missed you James!'

'I missed you too bro,' he said just as the door closed and the officers left.

'You have twenty minutes,' they said before leaving.

Sirius immediately grasped his elder cousin and pulled her into a much anticipated hug; he hadn't seen her since way before Azkaban, during the Easter holidays. She looked a lot more mature and wise; but that was what running away and becoming independent from your family did to you.

'How are you?' he asked.

'Me and Ted are married,' said Andy, breaking into a wide, stunning smile. She flicked her long black hair behind her.

'Shit! Congratulations!' said James, still holding Regulus tightly. 'When did you guys get married?'

'Well, no one really knows yet apart from Ted's family about me being his wife. It was a quiet ceremony in April, straight after I left the House of Black.'

'And how is married life serving you eh?' James said. It looked like he was hugging Regulus tightly and squeezing him … to the cameras. In reality, he was pulling the wallet Regulus had told him to take, and trying to transfer it into his crotch area as discreetly as he could.

Sirius, like it was a perfectly orchestrated move, noticed the trouble James was having and stepped forward, blocking James momentarily from the lone camera's view as he kissed his brother briefly on the cheek like it was the most natural thing.

'Married life is good. There are more expectations than I had anticipated but I like it. Ted treats me good and I love him so much.'

'Thank you,' James whispered into Regulus's ear before placing the boy back down and swatting him gently on the backside as he did.

'Have you got it?' breathed Sirius and then he moaned in relief when James nodded.

'So,' Andromeda began, eager to move onto a different subject. 'How is life here, in Azkaban?'

Sirius and James, with more vigor and enthusiasm than before, began to explain what life really was like in the Azkaban Asylum. 'It's hell,' began Sirius, 'hell for teenagers. And since they refuse to give me condoms, I risk getting my current girlfriend pregnant each time I sleep with her, so I've spent pretty much every day here in a constant state of fear that I've gotten her pregnant and relief that she hasn't approached me yet with those two dreaded words.'

Andromeda laughed. 'You're too young to act like such a whore, Sirius. Treasure your childhood. It'll speed by quicker than you'll anticipate, trust me.'

He winked at her and took a seat on the opposite side of the table she had been occupying. 'Say, Andy. What have you heard of the family recently?'

She broke into a smile. 'I heard that Bellatrix is going to marry Lestrange.'

'Which one?' both teenagers asked simultaneously.

'Rodolphus.

'Did Uncle Cygnus make her?'

'Even worse,' said Andy, 'she actually wants to marry him.'

Sirius shivered. 'Who would want to marry Rodolphus?'

'Who would want to marry Bellatrix?' countered Andromeda, raising an eyebrow and smirking when the two teenagers chuckled in delight.


End file.
